Love's Sweet Melody
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: It was a beautiful melody. Soft and classical. To him, it conjured images of an enchanted forest. The type of forest that his mother had told him and Sasuke about when they were little and she read them bedtime stories. At least that's what he thought as he danced with Hinata. He didn't know it at the time, but he was about to discover that love had the same melody.
1. Chapter 1

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** This is my first attempt at an Itachi x Hinata story. In this story, the Uchiha Massacre never happened. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Chapter Notation:** Some of the Clan Culture in this will follow cannon and some of it will be my own creation like the Introduction. Oh and as far as I know, Sasuke and Itachi's paternal grandparents were never named. So I have named them Kenji and Aiya.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

 _Elegant, powerful, and cold._ That was how Itachi Uchiha would describe the Hyuga Clan, if anyone asked him to. Fortunately, no one had ever done so.

It was well known that the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans tended to give each other a fairly wide berth. While they were certainly far from engaged in a Clan War, the two powerful families were at best wary of each other. They rarely interacted unless it was absolutely necessary. This was just happened to be one of those times.

"Careful, Sasuke. It wouldn't behoove any of us to offend our hosts." Itachi whispers to his younger brother.

Today, was the Hyuga Heiress's Introduction. The Introduction was a ceremony that most Clans engaged in. Quite simply, when one of their members turned eighteen a grand celebration was held. It was the Clan's way of letting everyone know that one of their own had come of age and would formally be able granted the right to officially begin pursuing others or to accept suitors.

Sasuke had already had his Introduction, a few months ago. It was a night that would likely live in infamy in his foolish little brother's mind, Itachi was sure. Though that didn't matter. It was a matter of tradition. Traditions were meant to be respected.

"I'll play nice, if they do." Sasuke tells him.

Itachi merely shakes his head in amusement. It was such a Sasuke thing to say. Well it wasn't as though he could blame the other man. Relations between their Clans had always been frosty at the best of times.

Unfortunately, the Hyugas were almost required to invite the Uchihas to this ceremony. To do otherwise, would be a great insult. An insult that many would view worthy of starting a Clan War over. That was why they were here. To keep the peace.

"Good. You told me that the poor girl is horribly shy. Tonight will be hard enough on her without us adding to it." The elder Uchiha reasons as he remembers what Sasuke had told him about Hinata.

 _"Sasuke, we've just received our invitations to attend Hinata Hyuga's Introduction. If memory serves, I believe you attended the Academy together. Tell me, what do you know about her?" Itachi asked._

 _"Not much. The girl barely talks. She's extremely shy. She stuttered in the Academy and was a wallflower. She was a decent student though. Her biggest problem was that she lacked confidence. Well that and that she actually had a crush on the loser. She used to blush and faint around him. A lot." Sasuke told him._

 _Itachi shook his head. Well if the girl really was that shy, that was likely the most information he was going to find out about her before the Ceremony. Still she didn't seem like the type that would cause a scene. That was good._

 _The last thing that any of them needed was for a fight to break out at the woman's Introduction. That could easily turn into a bloodbath. That was something that Itachi Uchiha was determined to avoid._

 _"Well that was several years ago. She's a Jonin now. It's more likely than not, that she has already grown out of her stutter and that skittish phase. Some flowers just take a little longer to bloom than others." He reasoned._

 _"Maybe. I haven't seen her much since the Chunin Exams to be honest. I don't have anything against her. I mean at least she's not a crazy stalker like most of the girls that attended the Academy with me." The younger Uchiha replied._

 _Itachi chuckled. It was the bane of Sasuke's existence. The Uchihas had two curses. The Curse of Hatred and the Curse of Good Looks. Though most were far more happy about the latter than the former._

 _"You know, people are going to start to talk about you. If you keep rejecting every woman that looks at you, they're going to start wondering if you prefer men." Shisui said with a mischievous wink._

 _"THAT'S IT! CHIDORI!" Sasuke yelled as he charged up his trademark attack and chased after a laughing Shisui._

 _Itachi laughed and watched their antics. He knew that if the two of them were serious, that attack would have collided or Shisui would have Flickered away. There was a very good reason why he was known as Shisui of the Body Flicker, after all._

 _"Foolish little brother, there is absolutely nothing wrong with preferring your own gender's companionship. Though Shisui was merely teasing you. I'm certain that he realizes you are just have extremely high standards when seeking a suitable lover." Itachi said._

 _"I know that, but he was being a jerk! So he's going to deal with the consequences!" Sasuke said as he raced after his cousin._

 _"Some things never change." Itachi mused to himself as he decided just to sit back and enjoy the chaos. (It was just another day in the Uchiha District.)_

Itachi sees Sasuke nod in agreement. That was better. Well at least if the woman's Introduction ended in disaster, it wouldn't be because of Sasuke.

That's when he hears someone announce Hinata. The woman was now at the top of the staircase with Hiashi. The proud Hyuga Patriarch was leading the young woman down the stairs. A beautiful woman who seemed to find her sandals more fascinating than the guests.

"Well she may be a wallflower, but she's a beautiful one." Itachi says to Sasuke.

Her hair was midnight blue and done up in an elaborate bun with a few pink Sakura Blossoms woven into it. Her lavender orbs shone with nervousness and she had the classical soft features of the Hyuga Clan. Her dress was also in a similar vein. Classically beautiful.

The kimono was made out of the finest silk and most of it was the same exact shade of pink as the blossoms upon her head. The trimming was made of gold silk though. The gown seemed to shimmer and glide with every step that she took. If nothing else, someone had certainly seen to it that the dress would remind people of Spring. (Which was an impressive feat considering that this Introduction was taking place in the heart of winter.)

"Thank you all for coming." Hinata says with a smile, once the father and daughter had finally descended the spiral staircase.

"Well what do you know? She did lose the stutter." Sasuke whispers to Itachi.

" Yes, please enjoy yourselves. There are food and drink a plenty. The Will of Fire continues to thrive in the Leaf as another of our own comes of age." Hiashi says.

There were murmurs of agreement and well wishes as various people raised their glasses to the guest of honor. Itachi shakes his head in amusement as the poor thing blushes as red as one of Sasuke's beloved tomatoes. This type of ceremony could be borderline cruel depending on who was coming of age.

Hinata sighs barely manages to hold back a sigh of relief when the festivities proceed after the announcement. For the rest of the night, she wouldn't have to endure every single set of eyes on her. Most people would be watching her, but not as closely.

These ceremonies were as much about Clan Politics and power as actually finding love. It was a chance for the Clans to interact. They strengthened old alliances, formed new ones, broke others, or tried to remain neutral. This night was more about that than her.

"Hinata, go enjoy yourself." Hiashi whispers to his eldest daughter.

"Yes, father." The young woman whispers back as she heads off.

Maybe, she'd be able to find a nice corner that she could spend the evening in. If she was lucky, she might be able to find Kiba and Shino in this throng of people. Her teammates would make sure that the night passed without a major incident.

Unfortunately, that was apparently going to be rather difficult. Kiba was getting asked to dance a lot and Shino was actually talking to some other ninjas. That was odd.

"His parents must have told him to do it." She murmurs.

"His parents must have told who to do what?" A masculine voice asks from behind her.

Hinata freezes. Damn. She really should have been more aware of her environment. Just because this was her Introduction, didn't make her any less of a ninja tonight than any other day.

"My friend. His parents must have told him to socialize at the celebration." She answers.

She was too startled by the man's sudden appearance to do anything other than be honest. Besides, she had been vague. Her friend could have been anyone.

"You mean Shino? Yes, that was probably a wise move on his part. His family is known for their rather neutral approach to things. Most certainly, their Clan can easily get lost in the shuffle when compared to the more boisterous Clans of our village." He says.

"I didn't say a n-ame." Hinata says.

"You didn't have to. You're a rather unassuming woman. Your friend was mostly likely one of your teammates. Kiba is most assuredly not the type of person who needs encouragement to socialize. So by the process of elimination, it had to be Shino. Don't trouble yourself over it. I'm not going to betray the confidence that you have with him." The other ninja promises her.

Hinata sighs in relief. The last thing that Shino needed was for people to know he had been forced to socialize with others by his parents. That would be humiliating.

"Thank you." She whispers with a smile.

"You don't have to thank me. I should be apologizing for startling you. It's just that this celebration is in your honor and it didn't seem right that you were alone when you're in a room full of people. I know what an uncomfortable feeling that can be." He says.

"Oh. You just surprised me is all. You don't need to apologize. That was kind of you, but really it's alright." Hinata tries to assure him as she realizes who she was talking to.

Itachi Uchiha. He was the eldest son of Uchiha Clan Heads. Sasuke's elder brother. While the Uchihas functioned somewhat autonomously from the rest of the Leaf Village, everyone knew who Itachi was. He was the prodigy amongst prodigies.

He was also gorgeous. Hinata supposed that if the Uchiha Clan had anything going for it besides power, it was their looks. Normally, she wouldn't ponder over such things. It was difficult not to when it came to this man though.

"You're very kind and forgiving. I don't believe that we have been formally introduced though. I'm Itachi Uchiha." He says smoothly.

Smoky eyes and silky looking raven black hair. Sunkissed skin and exotic markings on his face. A sleek muscular build and a charming smile. It was hard not to notice.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Hinata, but you already knew that…" She mumbles the last part.

"Yes, I did. Allow me to apologize for my most unbecoming behavior. It would be poor form to allow you to be ignored at your own celebration. Dance with me?" He asks.

Hinata smiles. It was sweet. He didn't want her to be ignored. He didn't want her to be overlooked. Yes, it was probably out of pity or maybe sympathy. That didn't really matter though.

If she didn't dance with someone, her father wouldn't be pleased. It was just that she didn't know who to ask besides Kiba or Shino. Her teammates were wonderful, but she doubted her father would be satisfied by her dancing with only two men that she had no intention of ever allowing to be her suitors.

"I'd like that." She says with a smile as she follows Itachi to the dance floor.

"Good." Her dancing partner says as he wraps his arms around her waist.

Hinata blushes and wraps her arms around his neck. She could feel every single pair of eyes on her again. Well more specifically on them.

It wasn't hard to tell why. She was the guest of honor at this Introduction and she was dancing with Itachi. Itachi was an Uchiha. She was a Hyuga. It was against the natural order of things really.

"Don't allow their stares to bother you. You should get used to them. They staring because you're beautiful and because an Uchiha is dancing with a Hyuga. You have nothing to feel embarrassed about." He murmurs in her ear.

Hinata feels her face turn bright red. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin and his scent was surrounding her. A pleasing mixture of pine and sandalwood. Not to mention the fact that the entire crowd probably thought he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

"It's hard not to though. We're going to be the talk of the village tomorrow. She tells him.

"I doubt that." Itachi assures her as he guides her around the dance floor.

He was the epitome of grace. Hinata was suddenly grateful for her years of flexibility training and in the art of movement. Otherwise, she likely would have looked like a klutz compared to him.

"Our families don't get along well. The very fact that we're dancing means that we are causing something of a scandal." She points out.

"Oh that's true. I wasn't arguing with that. I was just debating the scope of said scandal. I'm quite certain that by the end of the night, the entire Fire Nation will know that we danced together. That doesn't bother me though. I don't think that you should let it bother you either." He assures her.

She was a beautiful little thing. Beautiful, but as skittish as a rabbit. Itachi was fairly certain that he knew why.

The woman was obviously the type of person who was always worried about what others thought of her. Eager to please. That combined with the fact that she had been born into one of the strictest families that he knew of was a recipe for disaster.

"It doesn't bother me. I just don't want you to get into trouble." She says as she twirls underneath him.

Intentionally or unintentionally, her Clan had likely only made her nature shyness even more prominent. She was afraid of doing something wrong. In that way, she was a less bold version of his little brother.

"Don't think about them. Just focus on the melody and me. It's only a dance, Hinata. You shouldn't fret about trivial things like this." He tells her with a smile.

It was a beautiful melody. Soft and classical. To Itachi, it conjured images of an enchanted forest. The type of forest that his mother had once told him and Sasuke about when they were little and she read them bedtime stories.

She certainly fit the mold of the frightened princess. He knew that such thoughts were out of place though. Hinata was a Jonin. She was more than capable of slaying her own dragons.

"Maybe you're right." She replies as she glides across the dance floor with him.

The Hyuga Estate's inside even looked like a palace. His own family had more modest quarters. All comfortable, but nothing as grand as this. Though quite honestly, he preferred their District over an Estate.

Having hundreds of people so tightly packed together seemed like playing with fire to him. How did any of them ever get any privacy? His family was close, but they were also all independent of each other. The Hyugas reminded him of a hive of honeybees in contrast.

"Of course, I am." Itachi retorts with a small smirk.

They were all dedicated towards whatever their collective. There were worker bees and the Queen (well King in this case) gave the orders. They were divided into the Main House and the Branch House. A hive was a fitting analogy in his mind.

"Modesty is your most becoming trait." Hinata says with a giggle.

It was a melodious giggle. That one sound was far more soothing than even the most intricate symphonies that Itachi had heard. Incredible, really.

"Yes, I suppose it is." He agrees as he spins her underneath his arm and watches her whirl around.

The way that her kimono billowed behind her and the sleeves followed suit was nothing short of magical. The Hyugas had certainly known what they were doing when they chose this outfit for her. He'd grant them that much.

"This could get ugly." Shisui says to Sasuke as their Clansman danced with Hinata.

"You're right. We'll have to step in." Sasuke agrees.

"Precisely. Go and ask Hanabi to dance. It'll provide a sufficient distraction." The elder Uchiha suggests.

Sasuke looks at him like he was crazy. How was him dancing with the younger daughter of Hiashi going to help? The girl wasn't even a Chunin yet. She was way too young to think about courting.

"How is that going to solve this?" Sasuke hisses at him quietly.

"She's young enough that no one will seriously think you're courting her. It'll add some levity to the situation and distract them from the fact that Itachi is dancing with their heiress. That's how!" Shisui informs him.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. That was a good point. He sighs and goes to find Hanabi. Fortunately, the younger Hyuga was more than eager to dance with him.

The raven haired ninja was almost certain that was mostly because the young ninja wanted to join the festivities. She might already be an active ninja, but she was young. Young enough that she wasn't a factor in situations like these and obviously that would bother any "child."

"Let's go!" Hanabi says cheerfully as the two of the dance floor.

Sasuke could feel Hiashi Hyuga's eyes watching him like a hawk. Well mission accomplished. Hopefully, his amusing dance with Hanabi prevented an uproar over Itachi's dance with Hinata.

At that same moment, Itachi spins Hinata away from him and then back into his arms. She was certainly a graceful one. Then again, she was a Hyuga woman. Perhaps that was only to be expected.

"This was kind of you to do this for me. You didn't have to." She says with a smile.

"I known that I didn't have to. I wanted to." Itachi tells her.

She had just looked so lost and alone. He couldn't in good conscience leave her to be a shirking violet at her own Introduction. Besides, it was only one dance.

How much harm could one dance to? Eventually, the Leaf Villagers would find something else to gossip about. That and this might give the young beauty more confidence.

"I'm glad." She whispers as she continues dancing with him.

Really, it was no hardship for him to dance with a beautiful woman. When the morning came, that would be the end of it. Though there was the slight possibility that maybe this would defrost relations with the Hyuga Clan ever so slightly.

That wasn't a very likely possibility, but there was always a chance. He had honored their Heiress. That had to count for something, surely?

"I'm glad that you're glad." He replies.

Itachi wasn't sure how, but one dance turned into two. Two became three. After that, he lost count. He was enjoying listening to the melody of the Hyuga Princess's laugh too much to care for such trivial details.

Isn't that what he had told her? Not to fret over the small things? Well he supposed that he should follow his own advice.

"Where did you learn to dance like this? " Hinata asks him.

"My grandparents taught me. Kenji and Aiya Uchiha were quite renowned in their day for their dancing abilities. They chose to pass them on." He muses.

They had already danced together once. Was the village really going to gossip that much more because they danced together several times? He doubted it.

It wasn't as if they were doing anything improper. His hands stayed only on her waist. He made damn sure never to let them stray further than that. There would be a bloodbath, if t hat happened.

"Oh that was nice of them." The bluenette comments.

"Yes, it was." Itachi agrees as he twirls her once more.

It was hard to reconcile her endearing laugh or shy smile with the fact that he knew she was fully capable of locking up his chakra points. Hinata was certainly a serious of contradictions. Perhaps that would be a good thing in the end though.

One day , she would take over the Hyuga Clan. When that happened, she might remember this night or she might not. That might be irrelevant. It was her amiable personality that might truly hold the key towards improving Clan Relations.

The rest of the night passed quickly. Eventually, Itachi notices that more people were slowly filing out. Hinata's father was approaching them. That wasn't a good sign.

"Well I most certainly thank you for ensuring that my daughter's Introduction was a memorable one. Though the hour is late. My Clan is preparing to retire for the evening. Would you mind returning her to me now?" He asks pleasantly.

Itachi wasn't fooled by his tone of voice though. His words might be pleasant, but on the inside he knew the truth. The Hyuga Patriarch was bristling in indignation.

He wasn't pleased about him monopolizing Hinata's time. The odds of an Uchiha and a Hyuga marrying were about the same as Hell freezing over. That meant he had "wasted" her big night, in the other man's mind.

"Of course. Thank you, for inviting us to your beautiful home." He says with a smile of his own, before bowing respectfully and heading off.

"You're most welcome. Come, Hinata. As I've said, it's late. You should get some rest." Her father says.

"Yes, father." The bluenette says as she heads up the stairs, though Itachi didn't miss the fact that she glanced back over her shoulder at him as she ascended them.

He didn't know why, but that fact made him very happy. It meant that she was taking his side to a degree. It seemed like the wallflower was starting to blossom, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad that this unconventional pairing is being so well received. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2

The next day, Itachi knew that he had potentially made a mistake. It was one that he didn't regret making though. He had done the right thing morally, but strategically was another matter.

"You do realize that Hiashi Hyuga is never going to forgive you for monopolizing Hinata's night?" Fugaku asks.

"I realize that. He can't actually do anything though. The man is angry at me, but he's not irrational. Hiashi wouldn't start a Clan War over a night of dancing. He's not that foolish." Itachi replies.

He hated to admit it, but his father was right. The Hyuga Patriarch was likely never going to forgive him for this. Itachi was supposed to be a genius. He knew that he should have known better than to do something that impulsive.

Be that as it may, Itachi was still glad that he had done it. Hinata was such a sweet woman. She was also far too shy to ask anyone to dance. (Well other than possibly her teammates.)

"My Love, the damage is already done. There is no need to discuss the matter further. Besides, do you really wish to berate our son for showing kindness?" Mikoto asks softly.

He was alone with his parents. Thankfully, Aiya had managed to drag Kenji off when his father asked to speak with him alone. Mikoto had "invited" herself into their discussion though.

Fugaku Uchiha was apparently even more foolish than he was. Itachi couldn't fathom how the man honestly thought that he was going to have this discussion without his wife's input. He also should have known better.

"I'm not berating him for showing kindness. If Hinata was any other girl, it wouldn't have been an issue. She's the Heiress to the Hyuga Clan though." The Uchiahi Patrairch says.

Like father, like son. They were both foolish. Him for not caring about the consequences of his dance with Hinata. His father for thinking that he was actually going to have this conversation without his wife at his side.

"I'm aware of that. It's likely partially because of her status as a Hyuga that she is as shy as she is. People such as her do not flourish in such strict environments. I know that things will be tense for awhile, but he can hardly call for a war over a night of festivities. I did not harm her in any way." Itachi protests.

That was true. He hadn't hurt her. In a strange way, he might have even helped her. Now everyone was going to be talking about her.

They would be talking about her as the woman who had finally captured Itachi Uchiha's attention. Surely, that would perk the interest of some suitors. She was beautiful, but the woman was content to fade into the background and that was no way to find a husband.

"I know that your heart was in the right place. Well Sasuke did dance with Hanabi. Perhaps the Hyugas will see it as an overture to improve relations to our families and not as your trying to seduce her." His father says with a sigh.

"That was rather adorable. Sasuke looked so cute, twirling that little girl." Mikoto says happily.

"My Heart, that really isn't the point. We have to be practical about this." Fugaku says with a sigh.

Itachi couldn't really argue with either of them. His mother was right. Hanabi and Sasuke dancing had been a rather endearing sight, but so was his father. They had more important matters to focus on than _cuteness._

"I say that we just leave the matter be. I'm certain that eventually Hiashi will have more pressing matters to worry about than my dancing with his daughter. That and in a way, I probably helped her. She's certainly going to get noticed now. That should help her to find a suitable suitor." Itachi offers as his mother laughs softly.

Fugaku sighs and glances at his wife. It was obvious what his father was thinking. He thought that the Uchiha Matriarch was taking this too lightly. That was alright though.

Itachi felt that Fugaku was taking it a bit more seriously than it needed to be. He supposed that Sasuke's opinion on the matter would likely be the most accurate.

"That's true enough. Worrying about it won't change anything. That much I'll concede. For now, we'll just have to see how events unfold. Though I would counsel you to leave the girl alone. One night of dancing is more easily forgotten, if that's all that occurs between the two of you." Fugaku says.

Itachi sighs and nods. He hadn't been planning on seeking out her company again. The relations between their families were aloof at best. If people truly believed that he was seriously courting Hinata, well that might not end well.

"In any event, I believe I'll go and visit my foolish little brother." Itachi says slyly and with that, he Flickers off.

"I really hate it when he does that. I wish that Shisui had never taught him that technique." Fugaku says with a sigh.

Mikoto shakes her head in amusement and kisses her husband's cheek. The Body Flicker Technique was well known amongst ninjas. Itachi likely would have learned it with or without Shisui's help.

"You're being absurd, My Love. You know that technique has probably saved his life more than once. That and he's a man in his twenties. If he wasn't driving his father half mad, well I'd be rather concerned for his mental well-being. Such things are just part of the natural order of things. Don't fret upon it." She tells him.

"You're right. When I think about what I put my own father through at that age, well I feel a bit guilty now. Just a bit though. Kenji has more than embarrassed me a thousand times over to make up for it." He replies.

Mikoto nods. That was true. Kenji Uchiha did seem thrive on being outrageous. It was a good thing that he had Aiya to keep him somewhat in line.

"Of course. Come. You can help me in the kitchen." Mikoto says with a sly smile as she offers him her hand.

"Mikoto, we've been married for over two decades. I would have thought by now, you would have realized that I simply lack your culinary prowess." Fugaku retorts.

"I never said that you were going to helping me with cooking. Just that you would be helping me. You've been so busy with the Military Police Force and Clan Politics lately, that I have started to feel rather lonely. I miss you." She tells him as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him.

She smiles as she feels him kiss back. He was a good man. He just had the unfortunate habit of working himself half to death.

Oh well. Every Uchiha man had his eccentricities. That was why they need their wives to reign them in. It was the best kept secret of the Uchiha Clan really.

"In that case, I would be glad to help you in the kitchen." He says with a smirk as he darts off after her.

Mikoto laughs as she races off. Fugaku was fast, but he'd never be as fast as her. Though she'd let him "catch" her in the end.

"Catch me, if you can." She tells him.

Elsewhere Hinata sighs as she watches her teammates train. Kiba and Shino were facing off against each other. She was expected to fight the winner.

This arrangement normally would have made her nervous. She didn't like fighting against her friends and both of them were formidable opponents in their own rights, but not today. No. Today she was nervous about something else.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Kurenai asks softly in concern.

"Yes, Kurenai Sensei." She whispers back to the other woman.

Hinata didn't like lying, but she wasn't really sure how to explain everything. It was just easier to pretend that everything was normal. Her Sensei didn't need to be dragged into the ugly world of Clan Politics.

"Well you know that I'm always here, if you change your mind. Whatever it is, I won't judge you for it." The Genjutsu Mistress assures her and Hinata smiles in response.

That was who her instructor was. She was kind and perceptive. Hinata was grateful that she had gotten her. Not that she had anything against the other instructors, Kurenai was just the best fit.

Asuma was normal enough, but he smoked. The smoke made her eyes water and her throat itch. Guy was very friendly, but he was a little overenthusiastic sometimes. Finally, there was Kakashi. Hinata wasn't really sure that she could have handled having a teacher who read erotic in front of twelve year olds every day.

"I know you won't. Alright. Kiba and Shino already know, anyway." She mumbles.

Her father never would have allowed such behavior though. Hiashi Hyuga would have immediately demanded that she be assigned to another team. The Hyuga Patriarch would never have allowed such "distasteful literature" to be read in front of his daughter.

"What do they already know?" Kurenai asks as Shino sends a swarm of insects at his opponent.

"I danced with Itachi at my Introduction." She whispers.

"I know. I saw. It certainly got a lot of attention, but I'm not sure why that would worry you. I know that things between different families can be tense sometimes, but I doubt your father is really the type of man who would make a big issue out of it." The ruby eyed woman reassures her.

Hinata sighs. She really wished that was true, but she wasn't entirely sure she believed it. This could get ugly and fast.

The smartest thing for her to do would be to avoid Itachi. The reverse was also true and yet, the bluenette didn't want to do that. The Uchiha Heir was kind. She would like to be his friend.

"Father isn't pleased with me or Itachi. He won't do anything to put our family at risk, but I fear that the resentment may build. Relations between our Clans have always been strained and this will likely only make it worse." The Heiress frets.

He had just been being nice to her. There was no reason why this should turn into some sort of feud. She supposed this was where the old saying had come from though. No good deed goes unpunished.

"I can see why you would be concerned. Perhaps it would be best to discuss this with your father though. If you're truly that worried, you could put your mind at ease by talking to him." Kurenai suggests.

"My father is more used to being the one who does the talking than the listening. He's the Head of our Clan." The bluenette says.

"I imagine so, but you're his daughter. Hinata, he loves you. It's just some people have a different way of showing love than others do." The young mother says soothingly.

Hinata nods. She knew that her father loved her. Hiashi Hyuga was just a product of his environment really. He was doing what would be expected of any good Clan Head to do. That was all.

Though she didn't really relish the thought of trying to explain things to him. Itachi had danced her to dance several times out of kindness or pity. He didn't want her to be alone at her own Introduction. That was all.

"I'll try speaking to him." Hinata says as she watches her teammates continue their training session.

"Good. Well it looks like Kiba won that fight." She muses.

Indeed. Kiba and Akamaru had managed to overpower Shino's insects. Though Hinata suspected that Shino might be going slightly easy on Kiba. He likely knew that the other man was in a bad mood.

To say the least, Kiba hadn't been happy about her dancing with Itachi the night before. The Uchihas were a rather insular group and the fact that they had Ninja Cats, rubbed the Inuzukas the wrong way. Hinata always thought that it was silly that the two Clans would actually fight about something like that, but it was still true.

 _"Hinata, what were you doing? Why were you dancing with Itachi? You know that you can't trust them. I mean really, who trusts a cat to do Ninja Missions?" He asked._

 _"Itachi asked me to dance. He was just being nice." Hinata mumbled._

 _The last thing that she wanted to do was to fight with her teammate. Kiba was her friend. He was her comrade. More importantly though, he was like her brother._

 _She would never deliberately set out to upset him, but it looked like she had. Perhaps she should have seen this coming. It was just when Itachi asked her to dance, Hinata hadn't really thought about the potential consequences of accepting such an offer._

 _"Yeah. Maybe, he was trying to be nice. That's no reason to push your luck though. I'm sure there's a reason that they have their own District. Hell, even Shino is a little creeped out by them." The canine lover said._

 _"That's not nice. You should at least talk to someone before judging them!" Hinata snapped at him._

 _As soon as the words left her mouth, Hinata wasn't sure who was more surprised. Herself or Kiba? She had never yelled at him like that before and they had been on the same squad for six years!_

 _"Just be careful, Hinata. You spent one night with Itachi and now you're already yelling at your friends. They aren't normal." Kiba warned her._

Hinata knew that in his own way, Kiba had just been looking out for her. He hadn't meant anything malicious by her, but it had rubbed her the wrong way. An entire family was being judged when the rest of the village barely knew them. That was wrong.

Back in the Uchiha District, Itachi had found Sasuke. Currently, the elder Uchiha Brother was trying his best not to laugh. It was such a difficult task though.

"Oh come on, Sasuke. I think it's sweet." Shisui says.

"This is ALL your fault! You know that, right?!" Sasuke demands as scowls at his older cousin.

Itachi couldn't help it. He chuckles. Sasuke was just so delightfully infuriated. It was impossible not to react. The other man certainly could be quite comical when he felt something strongly.

"I just told you to ask her to dance. How was I supposed to know that she was going to get a little crush on you?" The other Uchiha asks innocently.

Itachi didn't buy the innocent act though and he knew that Sasuke didn't. Quite honestly, his cousin was asking for it. He was going to get Chidoried soon, if he didn't stop it.

"You're the one that told me to ask her to dance! That's the only reason why she sent me these tomatoes!" He yells at him.

"Look at it this way, my foolish little brother. This is actually a good thing." Itachi intervenes in the interest of preventing bloodshed.

"How is this a good thing?! Now, one of Hiashi's daughter has a crush on me and everyone thinks that you're trying to seduce the other?!" Sasuke thunders at him in outrage.

Earlier that day, a package had arrived for Sasuke. A package that contained two things. A note and tomatoes. The note said that it was from Hanabi.

"Oh I suspect the gossip will die down about Hinata and I shortly. As for sister, I think this is a good sign. She sent you tomatoes instead of sweets. Most women send you chocolate, but she knew you didn't like sweets. That's a very attentive future wife you have there. That bodes well for your marriage. It's truly the little things that matter most." Itachi says sagely.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! NOT YOU TOO! SHE'S WAY TOO YOUNG!" Sasuke roars at him as he charges at his brother.

Itachi chuckles and steps to the side. Sasuke was fast, but his anger made him a tad predictable. Oh well. He'd just have to learn the hard way to channel his rage productively.

The other Uchiha goes flying and barely manages not to skid into a nearby tree. Hmm. Well if nothing else, Itachi knew that Sasuke had good reflexes. That was something.

"I was only teasing you. You're right. She's far to young to worry about such things." Itachi agrees.

"Hinata is another matter though. You danced with her all night, Itachi. I had Sasuke ask Hanabi to take some of the attention off of the two of you, but I'm not certain that it was successful." Shisui counsels him.

This causes Itachi's levity to disappear. His cousin was right. Their night together was likely still going to be the talk of the Leaf. While it would likely get her some extra suitors, it also complicated things.

Complications were something that his Clan didn't need. They were already living on the outskirts of the village to begin with. They were both part of the Leaf and yet, not at the same time.

"I do appreciate the thought. She is a wonderful woman and if she wasn't a Hyuga, I wouldn't mind being her friend. She is though. There's no need to make her life unnecessarily difficult. I think that the wisest course of action is to just ignore it. This will all blow over." Itachi reasons.

"And what am I supposed to do about the girl who just sent me tomatoes?! If I ignore her, she'll be heartbroken. If I thank her, she'll probably think I want to marry her." Sasuke says.

"Oh that's entirely up to you, my foolish little brother. Though I must admit, I certainly don't envy the position that you now find yourself in." Itachi says as he pokes his forehead.

Meanwhile the Leaf was abuzz with gossip. Hinata's Introduction was certainly the talk of the village. There was scarcely anything else being discussed really.

"Do you think that he really likes her?" Sakura asks Ino.

"I'm not sure. I mean they spent the whole night together. If he does though, I think it's romantic. Their families have never really gotten along, but they're both willing to risk it anyway. It's tragically beautiful, when you think about it." The blonde replies.

Sakura pauses as she considers that. Yeah. That was true. It was just hard to picture Hinata with one of the Uchiha Prodigies though. That and Itachi was a fair bit older.

Not like creepy older, but that was still a pretty significant gap. A year could be a lifetime, when you were a ninja. Most ninjas were extremely lucky to see their thirtieth birthday. That's why most of them tended to marry when they were young.

"Well yeah. I just hope that their families aren't too harsh on them. I'm not saying they are together, but if they are…" Sakura says as she trails off.

The implication hung heavily in the air. There was no telling what the respective Clans might do, if two of their members were thinking about mixing the bloodlines. This could end in disaster.

It was one thing to read about star-crossed lovers. It was another entirely to see it happen in real life. Sakura knew enough about the Hyuga Clan to realize that they were willing to do almost anything to protect their bloodline and the Uchihas were enigmas. Who really knew what they were doing behind closed doors?

"Yeah. Maybe we should talk to Hinata about it. I'd say that we should talk to Itachi because he's less shy, but neither of us really knows him that way. Hinata's probably more likely to talk to us." The other woman reasons.

"Alright. I guess it can't hurt. If nothing else, at least she knows that she has friends who are worried about her. That's something." Sakura offers.

They lived all by themselves. The Uchihas had their own District. No one really knew what went on inside it.

That was probably a big reason why they were so isolated. The fact that people didn't really know them meant that their imaginations could go wild. Really, that was another why so many girls had crushes on Uchihas when they were young.

"Yeah. Let's go. Do you think we should rope Shikamaru into it? He's lazy, but he's really smart." Her friend says.

They were mysterious. There was something incredibly alluring about that. That combined with their looks and the fact that the Clan was renowned for their fighting abilities meant that most of them had their fair share of admirers. Sometimes the Uchihas did marry outside their Clan. That likely only further contributed to the romantic fantasies that many a young girl had dreamed up about them.

The Uchihas took "new blood" in more often than the Hyugas, but at a price. Whoever married into the Clan had to move into the District. It was a way of keeping the bloodline healthy, while maintaining their secrecy.

"That's true. I guess, it couldn't hurt to ask him." The pink haired woman agrees.

"Alright! Well let's get going! People in love shouldn't be kept apart just because they have the wrong last name!" Ino says as she throws her hand into the air determinedly.

Sakrua rubs the back of her head sheepishly in response. That might be stretching it a bit. They didn't know for sure that Hinata and Itachi were in love. There was just the possibility that they MIGHT be in love.

Still it was the principle of the thing. On principle, Ino was absolutely right. If they were in love, they shouldn't be kept apart just because their families weren't that fond of each other.

"Alright. We should probably confirm that they are in love before we do anything too crazy though. That or that they at least like each other. We don't want to jump to conclusions and end up making everyone mad at us." The medic says.

"Yeah. You're right! I know that they are though! Why else would Itachi risk the wrath of Hiashi, if he wasn't in love with Hinata? Can you imagine? He's probably been pining for her secretly for years!" Her friend gushes.

Itachi Uchiha and pining weren't really words that belonged in the same sentence in Sakura's mind. Still she knew better than to interrupt her friend when Ino was on a roll. The girl's family owned a flower shop. It was only natural that she would be a romantic really.

What went together more than flowers and romance? Very few things. Hmm. Was Itachi the type of man who would buy his beloved flowers or not, she wonders to herself.

"We'll see. For now, let's go find Hinata. She's the one who is most likely to talk, if something is actually going on. Like I said, don't go crazy. We need proof before we try anything." The pink haired woman reminds her.

"I know. I know. I'm not crazy, Sakura. I just think that two people in love shouldn't be kept apart. We'll get proof first. Then we'll get them together. I bet she'll ask one of us to be her Maid of Honor!" The blonde exclaims.

Oh boy. This might be getting out of control. Secretly, Sakura hoped that Ino was right. She just didn't want to be around for the fallout, if she was wrong though.

"Well let's go find out." Sakura says with a smile as the two of them head off to find Hinata.


	3. Chapter 3

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 3

An hour later, Hinata blinks. Ino and Sakura were running towards her and they looked rather excited about something. Curious, she walks over to them.

"Sakura, Ino, is everything alright?" The Hyuga woman asks a bit warily.

She had a feeling that she knew what the two of them wanted to talk about. Hinata could only hope that she was wrong, but she doubted it. Ino and Sakura were die hard romantics. That meant that it was almost a certainty that they were going to ask about her and Itachi.

"Yeah! Everything is great. We were wondering if you wanted to have lunch with us." Sakura says.

Hinata sighs in relief. Lunch. They just wanted to have lunch. This wasn't going to be an interrogation about her secret love for Itachi Uchiha, after all. Thank goodness.

Not that she was in love with him. She barely knew the man. Itachi had been kind to her, but that's all there was to it. There was no forbidden romance occurring behind closed doors.

"I'd love to." The bluenette replies with a shy smile.

"Great! You can pick the location." Ino says merrily.

The Hyuga Heiress could only hope that people would believe her when she told them that. Perhaps this would all die down in a few day though. After all, surely something more interesting than her dancing with a man would happen sooner or later.

The Leaf wasn't THAT dull of a village. Actually, her village was filled with many strong personalities. That was one of the reasons why it was so easy for her to blend into the background. She just wasn't nearly as assertive or boisterous as many of her peers and for the most part, Hinata was okay with that.

"Well the Ramen Shop is closest." Hinata reasons.

"Good choice." Sakura says as she grabs the bluenette's hand and steers her to the shop.

It didn't hurt, but Sakura was being a little more enthusiastic about ramen than was normal for most people. Well unless your name was Naruto Uzumaki. Then she was behaving in a perfectly normal way, Hinata muses to herself.

"So order whatever you like. It's our treat." Ino says happily.

"Alright." Hinata says as she orders some chicken ramen.

This wasn't good. They were treating her and Sakura was in a hurry to drag her here. There was going to be an interrogation, it seemed. Most likely it would be one that would make even Ibiki blush.

"So Hinata, did you hear the news?" Ino asks.

"What news?" The Hyuga woman replies warily.

She wasn't entirely certain how this would go, but the Hyuga woman doubted it would end well for her. Perhaps, she could convince them of the truth. It had just been an innocent nice of dancing.

That was all. There was nothing scandalous going on. It wasn't as if Itachi Uchiha was going to fall for HER. She was a wallflower.

"The hospital is opening up slots of people to train as medics." Sakura replies excitedly.

Oh. Maybe, she had been wrong. This could be innocent. Really, she shouldn't be so suspicious of her friends. They just wanted to tell her about the medic program. That was all.

"That's nice. Why are you telling me this though?" Hinata asks in confusion.

"Well Sakura thought that maybe, you'd be interested in giving it a try. You have excellent chakra control and you don't really seem to like fighting that much. I mean you're strong, but you aren't really naturally aggressive. This could be a good fit for you." Ino explains.

That made sense. As much as her pride didn't like to admit it, she wasn't naturally oriented towards combat where it counted. She liked her comrades' competitive spirits or killer instincts.

"Maybe. I'd have to talk to my father about it. He's the Head of our Clan. So if someone wants to change specializations, they have to speak with him about it first." The Hyuga woman points out.

"That's incredibly sad. You can't even decide what you want to do for yourself?" Sakura asks.

Hinata shakes her head. She knew that it would be hard for someone like Sakura to understand. The other ninja came from a civilian background. Her parents had let her follow her heart.

Ninja families didn't always have that luxury. This was especially true when they came from a Clan with a bloodline. There were reasons for the rules that her father and Clan had put into place though. Hinata didn't resent them for it. It was for everyone's safety, really.

"Our Clan has always believed that the needs of our family as a whole are far more important than the wishes of any particular individual." Hinata mumbles.

That was the truth. It was the collective good that the Hyuga Clan strived for. They were more focused on survival than the "minor" details of life. One had to be when you had a bloodline trait as rare and valuable as the Byakugan.

"I'm glad my Clan isn't that strict." Ino says with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah. So Hinata, did you have fun at your Introduction?" Sakura asks and Hinata mentally groans.

This wouldn't end well. There was no scenario in which the Hyuga Heiress could envision this ending well. Ino and Sakura had decided to meddle in her love life. God help her!

Meanwhile Itachi was having a discussion with his father. While Fugaku couldn't legally stop him, he did want his approval for what he was about to do. He had brought Sasuke and Shisui as backup.

"So you're saying that you wish to become a medic?" The Uchiha Patriarch inquires skeptically.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I do not particularly care for being a member of the ANBU and I feel out of place at the Military Police Force. I love you father, but we do not see things the same way when it comes to missions. I don't feel that I would be of much help to our Clan there." He states.

Itachi could sense Sasuke's eyes on him. Sasuke's eyes and Shisui's. His brother and cousin wanted to help them, but neither of them was precisely sure when (or if) they should butt in.

This was far from the first time that he and Fugaku Uchiha had disagreed about something. It likely wouldn't be the last. He adored his father, but the man was like a mountain. He was completely unmovable while he was the river that flowed on past the mountain. Simply put, they were almost nothing alike.

"I have to agree with Itachi. He's better suited to be a medic. Besides, it might be a good thing. It could help the other villagers to think of us as something other than bloodthirsty warriors." Shisui offers.

"I suppose the mark of a good Clan Head is not only to protect your Clan, but to be able to convince them to follow you as you have done with your brother and your cousin." Fugaku says with a sigh.

That was a good sign. His father rarely conceded anything, but he always sighed before he did. Now, Itachi just had to reel Fugaku in like the fish he would sometimes catch.

"Indeed it is." Itachi says, figuring that agreeing with his father on something would soften the blow a bit.

"I'd be happy to take Itachi's place at the Police Force." Sasuke says.

Good. That was good. Maybe, now Fugaku and Sasuke could bond. That and he'd be on a career path that would make him happier. Really, it was a win-win all the way around.

He just had to make his father see that. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. That was alright though. Itachi was an Uchiha and Uchihas never gave up!

"That's very kind of you, Sasuke." Fugaku says.

He doubted his father would put up much of a fight now. His baby brother was backing him up. The bond between brothers was a sacred one. Surely, even his father wouldn't argue now.

"Thank you, father." The younger Uchiha says.

"You're welcome. Though Itachi, are you certain this is what you want? You've done rather well in your other specialization. You're an excellent combat ninja." His father observes.

"Doing well and enjoying my job are two separate things. I don't enjoy the tasks they make me do. I feel that I can be of more use to the Leaf and our Clan by healing injuries instead of causing them." He reasons.

His father sighed again. That meant that victory was at hand. He was almost there!

"Very well. I can see that you've given this a great deal of thought. I suppose that if it doesn't work out, you can always go back to being a combat ninja." The other Uchiha relents.

"Thank you, father. I promise that you won't regret this." Itachi tells him with a smile as he bounds off with Shisui and Sasuke towards the hospital.

"What did I just get myself into?" The Uchiha Patriarch mutters to himself.

He loved both of his sons. Fugaku really did, but sometimes they drove him crazy. Mikoto was probably right about why though. It was just the natural order of things.

Itachi wanted to defy him at every turn. Well short of actual disloyalty. He was completely independent and wouldn't listen to Fugaku unless it concerned the safety of their Clan and village as a wh ole.

"And Sasuke is the opposite." He observes.

Sasuke in contrast wanted his approval a little too much. While he was glad that his younger son admirer him, a little more independence might have been good for the boy.

In short, Itachi cared too little for his approval and Sasuke cared too much. Perhaps, that was simply nature's way of balancing things out. God help him, if they had both shared the same view of him.

"What is Sasuke the opposite of?" Mikoto asks as she approaches him, only to see the three men depart.

"Oh it's nothing. I was just musing about how different Itachi and Sasuke are." He answers truthfully.

There was no point in even trying to hide anything from his wife. Mikoto might as well be using some Mind Reading Jutsu on him. She always seemed to know what he was thinking.

It was both comforting and a bit unnerving. Though it was only to be expected to a certain degree. After all, they had been married for over two decades. That was a long time to know someone.

"My Love, you really need to stop comparing them. It's not good for you or them." She chastises him slightly.

"It wasn't like that. I wasn't choosing favorites. Did you know that Itachi was interested in becoming a medic? He came here with Shisui and Sasuke at his side, all ready to plead his case." He informs her.

She shakes his head. Oh good. So he wasn't the only one out of the loop. That made him feel a bit better.

It was childish, but sometimes he suspected that Itachi might favor his mother over him. Though it wouldn't come as a surprise to him, if that was indeed the case. Fugaku and Itachi Uchiha were just too different to truly see eye to eye on much of anything.

"No. He's never mentioned it to me. What did you say to him?" She asks as she places her hands on her hips.

"I spoke to him about it. He raised some good points. I still have my reservations about such an undertaking, but Itachi is a grown man now. As much as I am loathed to admit it, I can't stop him from changing specializations." Fugaku confesses.

"Good. If you had said anything else, you're cooking privileges would have been revoked for quite sometime." She informs him.

That woman could be really evil sometimes. She certainly knew where to hit a man where it hurt. His kitchen privileges? That was hitting below the belt.

"You're a cruel woman sometimes. You know that, right?" He asks.

"Oh I know. You love me, anyway though." Mikoto says as she flounces off with a hairflip.

"Yes, yes I do." Fugaku replies as he chases off after his wife.

Elsewhere, Hinata was mentally panicking. She needed to think quickly. The Hyuga Heiress needed to distract them with something.

"Yes, I did. Though I was wondering, if the two of you would come with me. Would you come with me and help me ask my father? I think that he'd be more likely to let me enroll in the medic program, if I had other people who were vouching for me." She asks.

She could tell by the looks on their faces that was not what they wanted to discuss. Hinata didn't care though. That sounded awful to say, but it was the truth.

Hinata had to distract them or else they'd continue meddling. She loved her friends, but they really didn't understand about Clan Politics. It was a subject that they should both avoid like the plague.

"Oh. Well yeah. Of course, we can back you up! Sakura says with a smile.

"Totally. You have our full support." Ino agrees as the three of them head off to find Hiashi.

It didn't take long for them to find him. Once they did though, Hinata was at a loss for words. She was interested in becoming a medic, but the bluenette wasn't sure how to tell her father that.

"Mr. Hyuga, the hospital is now taking people in for our medical program. Hinata would like to join." Sakura says.

Hmm. Well it seemed that there were benefits to Sakura already being a medic. The woman could be very professional when she wanted to be (and when she wasn't trying to play matchmaker)!

"That's interesting news, indeed. Hinata, are you sure this is what you want? You've worked so hard to become a combat ninja. Do you really want to suddenly change your specialization like this?" He replies.

Hinata had expected worse than that, actually. She decides to take that as a positive sign. Maybe, she could talk him into it.

"Yes, I'd like to. I don't like hurting people, father. Besides, being a medic is an honorable profession. It's highly respected and medics tend to live longer than most other ninjas. Well as long as they aren't combat medics." Hinata observes.

"And you aren't planning on being a combat medic?" Hiashi asks his daughter.

"No. I figured that I would work at the hospital." The younger Hyuga replies.

She could see that surprised her father. Thankfully, he seemed to be mulling it over. It was frankly a miracle that he hadn't dismissed this idea already. That gave her some hope.

"Well I suppose if you are ever to marry and have children, this would be a smarter choice than to be a combat ninja. Very well. You may try it and if you do not like it, well we can always have you become a combat ninja again." He states.

"Thank you, father!" Hinata says as she hugs him.

"You're welcome. Now, you should head to the hospital quickly. I imagine that there will be many people who are interested in this program." He reminds her.

Hinata nods and bounds off towards the hospital with Sakura and Ino. The past couple days hadn't been what she expected to say the least. She had danced with an Uchiha and now she was possibly going to become a medic. The latter part of which, the Hyuga Heiress actually had her father's blessing to do so.

"I think that you'll really like it." Sakura tells Hinata.

"I hope so." The bluenette says as she walks side by side with her friends.

It might be better for her and she did have good chakra control. That had to help with this type of thing, right? Precision must be useful when dealing with matters of life and death.

"I know so. Really, I think this just what you need." Ino says.

When Hinata arrives she sees there were a lot of people standing outside Tsunade's office. At least a dozen or more. Though she suspected two dozen might not have been an exaggeration.

She wasn't actually going to count though. That would only make her more nervous. What would happen, if all the slots were already filled by the time she got up there?

"Well it looks we found the right place." Shisui observes in amusement a few minutes later.

"There are a lot of people signing up." Sasuke adds.

Hinata blinks and looks around. Three Uchihas were now waiting in line. Though it looked more like Itachi was the only one actually in line.

Sasuke and Shisui were off to the side. The implication was clear. If anyone showed up after them, they could "cut them." Cut them as in take their place in line.

"It does seem that way." Itachi agrees.

He was still the picture of serenity. It was if nothing truly could ever rattle that man. Hinata felt slightly jealous of that ability. There were definitely days, when she wished that she could be more like that.

"Hey, Itachi! Wow, I had no idea that you were interested in becoming a medic!" Sakura says.

This was a set up. Sakura must have either known or guessed that Itachi was interested. So this was how they planned to play matchmaker. They wanted them both in the medic program.

It was clever, though Sakura was apparently a horrible actor. Hinata didn't know whether to be touched by the depths her friends would go to make her happy or disturbed. This was definitely not normal.

"Well I probably never would have pursued it, if I didn't hear they had slots available. It's always been something that I thought about in the back of my mind though." Itachi answers smoothly.

If he realized what was happening, Itachi certainly wasn't showing it. Idly, Hinata wonders, if he did or not. It would take quite a few leaps to realize what was going on, but this was Itachi. The man was a genius.

"Oh well that's great!" Sakura says and that's when Ino "accidentally" pushes Hinata closer to Itachi.

They were about as subtle as bulls in China Shops, Hinata thinks to herself. Her self-appointed matchmakers were so obvious that now, even Sasuke and Shisui were giving them funny looks. The only saving grace was the fact that the other people in line were more focused on getting through the door than on them.

Otherwise, this would have been very embarrassing. The Hyuga woman didn't like yelling at her friends, but she was going to have to a talk with them later. Ambushing her like this wasn't fair!

"Oh. Hello, Hinata." Itachi says with a smile.

A pleasant smile. He probably gave it to everyone that he was at least on civil terms with. A smile that she really should not be blushing about.

Hinata once again curses the fact that she blushed so easily. It was a most inconvenient trait for a ninja have. It was doubly so for a Hyuga, especially for the Heiress of the Hyuga Clan!

"Hello, Itachi." Hinata says with a shy smile.

Well at least she hadn't stuttered. That would have been utterly humiliating. To add to her embarrassment, now more people were starting to notice.

It was likely that they recognized her voice and his voice. The Clan Heirs were speaking to each other again. It didn't particularly matter that it was so far a very mundane conversation.

"How are you? I didn't realize you had an interest in becoming as medic. Though I suppose it does suit you." He says softly.

All of them were probably hoping to hear something scandalous. It was a stupid wish on their part. What did they actually think that they were going to make love in the hallway of a hospital or something?

She probably shouldn't have thought that. It brought to mind some very forbidden images. Images that her father would probably disown her for, if he even knew that they had crossed her mind once.

"Well I hadn't really thought about it much, but Sakura told me they had openings and made a good case for it. I think I might be better suited to being a medic than a combat ninja." She replies.

Hinata needed to focus on anything but those thoughts. Really, she blamed the people for staring. This was their fault. She scarcely ever indulged in thoughts like these.

To a certain extent, it was expected. She was human. Try as they might, Hyugas couldn't control their thoughts. Only their actions, but still her father would be aghast at what she had just thought about and with Itachi UCHIHA of all people!

"Oh well sometimes friends can see us better than we can. I think you'll make a fine medic." He tells her.

Hiashi Hyuga would be horrified that she had those thoughts about anyone really, but an Uchiha? Well that wouldn't end well. It was imperative that she not do anything to make the village gossip more about them than they already were.

Polite conversation was going to give them something more to gossip about, but ignoring him would be even worse. If she ignored him, people might be foolish enough to think they had had some kind of lovers' spat. That was really the last thing that she needed.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you to say." Hinata says politely.

"Shisui, let's go. I think Itachi has got it covered from here." Sasuke says to his cousin.

"I think you're right." The older Uchiha says and with that, the two ninjas proceed to head off together.

Lovely. Now Sasuke and Shisui thought that there was something going on. They didn't even need to say it. It was obvious by their actions.

She really, really needed to speak with Ino and Sakura later on. They were causing so much chaos. Hinata doubted that they meant to do it, but they had.

"Are you alright? You seem troubled." Itachi asks her.

"Oh yes. I'm fine. I'm just hoping that they don't run out of slots." Hinata assures him.

Itachi was so kind. So empathetic. She really didn't want to drag him into some sort of stupid rumor about the two of them. He certainly didn't need the grief.

"I'm certain they'll let you in. They'd be foolish to risk the wrath of the Hyuga Clan by slighting their heiress and your chakra control is exceptional." The Uchiha attempts to console her.

Indeed. It would be foolish to risk earning the wrath of the Hyuga Clan. That's why she didn't want these rumors to get Itachi into trouble! She needed to do something and quickly or else they were both going to be in big trouble!


	4. Chapter 4

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and to answer the one guest reviewer's request, at some point I will attempt a Sasuke x Hinata x Itachi story. I just have to finish up some of my current stories first. So it wouldn't be for awhile.

Chapter 4

A few days later and Itachi finds himself smiling. He had been accepted into the medical program and so had Hinata. He was happy for the skittish beauty, really.

Combat wasn't her natural specialty. That much was obvious. Hinata would do much better as a medic. Where her gentle touch, sweet smile, and excellent chakra control would be more appreciated than they would be on the battlefield.

"Today, I'm going to teach you all how to check vital signs. We're going to start with the pulse. The easiest place to find one is in the neck." Tsunade instructs.

Itachi knew that it was foolish, but he couldn't resist. He couldn't resist helping her. She was just so adorably shy. Like a scared bunny or something, that he couldn't ignore her silent pleas for help.

She was too unassuming to ask someone to be her partner. So Itachi had asked her to be his. It was just easier that way.

"There are other locations of course. The wrist is another." Sakura adds helpfully.

His father could raise his objections later, if he wanted to. He was merely helping her practice finding a pulse. It wasn't as if he was doing anything unseemly with the Hyuga Heiress.

There were murmurs of acknowledgement as they were shown the proper way to check for a pulse. Itachi thought that this particular exercise was a little pointless. They had all been taught this in the Academy, but he supposed that they likely wanted to start with something simple.

"Do you want to take me first or should I take you?" Hinata asks softly.

Something simple to bolster everyone's confident. A task that almost anyone could complete with ease. It was a good way to boost morale.

Wait. _TAKE HER?!_ Surely, she didn't meant that the way that it sounded and that's when he was jerked violently back into the matter at hand.

"I'll take you, first. That way you can see how it's done." He offers smoothly.

Pulse taking. The Hyuga woman hadn't meant it the way it sounded. Though idly, he realizes that what he said to her could also be considered rather indecent. Well it could be, if taken out of context.

"Okay." Hinata says with a shy smile.

She'd probably be blushing madly or have fainted by now, if she knew what he had just been thinking about. It was a good thing for both of their sakes, that she didn't. The girl was far too innocent for such things.

That and her father would be furious. He'd likely permanently ensure that Itachi was never able to sire any children, if he found out. Hiashi Hyuga was not a man to be trifled with.

"Don't worry. This will be easy." He assures her as he lightly presses two of his fingers against her neck.

Her wonderfully soft and warm neck. There was something rather elegant about the curve of it. She also had this delightfully creamy complexion. He rather liked it, really.

"I'm not worried." She stammers out rather quickly.

"Then why is your pulse racing?" Itachi inquires as he continues taking it.

It was indeed going faster than normal. Was she really that nervous around him? Why? Was it because he was an Uchiha?

Hinata surely couldn't be that frightened of him. The woman had spent the entire evening dancing with him. If she was truly scared of him, the Hyuga woman wouldn't have done that.

"I guess that I'm just nervous. I had to have Sakura and Ino talk my father into letting me try this and I don't want to disappoint him." She says hastily.

Itachi doubted that she was lying, but he knew that it was unlikely Hinata was telling him the full truth. Hiashi Hyuga's disappointment was something that would be utterly devastating to his daughter, but there was more to the story. That much he was sure of.

"Not everyone is suited to be a medic and your father knows that. I wouldn't fret about such matters. That and as I've said before, you'll make a wonderful medic. You don't need to worry about such things." Itachi promises her.

Hinata smiles in response. It really was such a sweet smile. She'd go far with it as a medic and Itachi was positive that it had caught the eye of at least someone at her Introduction. The woman would likely be wed before she was twenty, her shyness not withstanding.

"Thank you." She whispers as she goes to check his pulse instead.

Meanwhile Hiashi Hyuga was out doing some training. To say the least, he was an anxious man on this day. After what Neji had just told him, he couldn't be sure of much of anything.

"And you're certain that Itachi Uchiha has entered the same program as Hinata?" The father of two demands as he slams his foot against the training post, shattering it.

Neji nods a bit nervously. Hiashi couldn't blame his nephew. At the moment, the Hyuga Patriarch was certain that he was putting up quite the frightening visual.

"Yes, I'm certain of it. It's a matter of public record now. Anyone, can look to see who is enrolled." The younger Hyuga tells him.

Damn it. Was it a coincidence? He supposed that it was possible that Hinata and Itachi had both decided to become medics without consulting each other, but it didn't seem too likely at the moment.

Of course, Hinata was friends with Sakura. Sakura was already a medic herself. So perhaps the girl had simply suggested it and Hinata found the idea appealing. There might not be anything scandalous going on.

"I shall investigate those records of course. Though I trust you. If you say that he's decided to become a medic, Itachi has done so. You've never lied to me before. I doubt that you would start doing so now." The lavender eyed man replies.

As far as Itachi went, Hiashi honestly didn't know. The man could have a genuine interest in becoming a medic. He had always seemed far less hot-headed than most of his Clan. So it was plausible that he wanted to pursues a less violent career path.

The fact that Hinata had chosen to do the same, might not have had anything to do with it. It could all just be a coincidence. Logically, he knew that was the most likely possibility.

"I would never lie to you, Lord Hiashi." Neji vows.

His fatherly instincts were screaming at him that wasn't the case though. Hiashi Hyuga was a man who had learned to trust his instincts. It was a rare combat ninja that made it over forty before retirement.

The Hyuga man's instincts had served him well in battle. Why wouldn't they serve him equally well in other aspects of his life? Aspects pertaining to his eldest daughter in this case.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Though I suspect that I may need to speak with Fugaku Uchiha." He says with a heavy sigh.

It might be nothing, but it could be something. In which case, it was best to speak to Fugaku. The two men were certainly far from friends, but they were both fathers. Certain things were universal.

Most fathers only wanted what was best for their child. That certainly wasn't marrying the heir to their Clan's unofficial rival. Fugaku could be reasoned with.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Neji asks softly.

"I'm not entirely positive that it is the wisest course of action. Though I do view it was the smarter choice between that and doing nothing. It is best to deal with potential problems before they have a chance to spiral." He reasons.

"Yes, Lord Hiashi." The younger Hyuga says as he bows to him respectfully.

Neji was a good boy. A smart boy. The ninja knew his place in the world and was respectful. He had never caused him any problems.

Until recently, he would have said very similar things about Hinata. His chief concern about his eldest daughter was that she lacked confidence. It would be difficult for someone with her more docile nature to lead a Clan as large as theirs, but that was all that worried him about Hinata. Now, that was no longer the case.

"I think I'll go and speak with him now." He states as he heads off.

It was best to deal with this now. He'd rather not have some sort of forbidden romance form. Well technically it wasn't forbidden, but it was something of an unspoken rule.

He sighs as he heads to the Uchiha District. That's when he hears a loud hissing sound. Oh lovely. He had been stopped by a freaking cat.

"Hiashi Hyuga what are you doing on Uchiha Lands?" The feline demands.

She had hair the color of moonlight. The Hyuga Patriarch vaguely recalls her name as being Tsuki. She was Mikoto's companion.

Apparently, Ninja Cats didn't respond well to being called pets. That was really no concern of his. The only reason he indulged them in this "request" was he'd rather not have to deal with angry cats.

"I am here to speak with Fugaku Uchiha about our children. I believe that there is a matter that requires our urgent attention." He states.

"If you try to harm the kittens, I will scratch your eyes out. I'm warning you right now, but I shall inform him of your arrival. It will be his decision whether he wishes to receive you or not." The cat says as she saunters off.

The cat was sauntering off rather slowly. The Hyuga man didn't think that was a coincidence. She just wanted to annoy him. Well it was most assuredly working!

This was why he was more of a dog person. They were less insolent. Well he would be more of a dog person, if he wasn't allergic to them and cats. Speaking of which, he could feel a sneezing fit coming on.

"Hiashi, are you alright?" Fugaku asks when he arrives a few minutes later.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just allergic to cats." He mutters in annoyance.

"Ah I see. Well that's unfortunate. Tsuki said that you wished to discuss our children. Is this about Itachi and Hinata or Hanabi's little crush on Sasuke?" He asks.

The Hyuga Patriarch could only twitch in response. Wait. It wasn't just Hinata he had to worry about?! Now, Hanabi was besotted as well?!

This was getting ridiculous. Uchiha men must have some sort of Jutsu around them. That was the only logical explanation why suddenly the women in his family were all losing all common sense around them!

"I came here to speak of Itachi and Hinata. Though now that you have brought the other matter to my attention, I don't think that it would hurt to discuss Hanabi's admiration of your youngest son as well." He says with a dramatic sigh.

"I wouldn't worry about the second part. The girl far too young for that to be a concern. Of course, I am proud of both of my sons. They'll make fine husband's one day, but girls of Hanabi's age tend to have many crushes. She'll likely forget about him in a week or two. You'll see." Fugaku says consolingly.

He certainly hoped that was the case. It was bad enough that there might be something blooming between Hinata and Itachi. He didn't even want to think about Hanabi's Introduction for several years!

"I'm glad to hear that. Well yes, I suppose that's accurate. Young girls tend to fall in and out of "love," rather easily. It's more Hinata and Itachi that concern me truthfully." The Hyuga Patriarch states bluntly.

Fugaku nods his head sympathetically. Good. Good. He was going to be reasonable about this. That was what Hiashi had been hoping for.

"I trust that you'll speak to Itachi about my daughter and I shall do the same." He continues.

"I've already spoken to him about the matter. As far as I can tell, there's nothing to be concerned about from his side of things. Hinata is just shy. Everyone knows that. Itachi felt that it would be kind to ask her to dance. He has no intentions of trying to seduced her. Well at least none that I'm aware of anyway." The Uchiha Patriarch promises him.

"Excellent. That is exactly what I wanted to hear. I shall continue speaking to my daughter about this topic. They're both very sensible people. I imagine they'll see reason soon enough." Hiashi says, before launching into a sneezing fit.

"Yes, that would be best. I am sorry about this. Itachi really was just trying to be kind. He has a way of doing so without thinking about the potential consequences. It's quite odd, considering he's normally so strategic." The other man offers.

Hiashi nods in understanding as he politely excuses himself. Damn cats. He was going to be having a sneezing fit for the rest of the day most likely.

"Hyugas. Pft." Tsuki says as she cleans her paws.

"Tsuki, that wasn't very kind. The man was just concerned about his daughters." Fugaku chides her.

"The daughters, I like well enough. At least they do not have Fish Faces. Always frowning. Never any life in that Clan. No emotions." The feline says and Fugaku chuckles.

Well he couldn't really disagree with that. Still he was glad that Hiashi had approached him. Perhaps, things would settle back down into something resembling the normal way of things now.

A few hours later, the medics in training had ended their lessons. Itachi smiles at Hinata as he opens the door for her and the Hyuga Heiress could only blush.

He really was kind and such a gentleman. If he didn't watch it though, the rumors were going to start up again. The last thing that she needed was for her father to think Itachi was trying to seduce her because he had held the door open for her!

"Father always did jump to conclusions." She whispers to herself.

"I'm sorry. What? Did you say something, Hinata?" Itachi asks as he sees her outside the hospital.

She really needed to be more careful. What would have happened, if Itachi had heard her. He'd likely think that she thought poorly of her own father. Nothing could be further from the truth!

"No. Nothing!" She says rather swiftly.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Hinata regretted them. Not the words themselves, but how quickly she had said them. Now, Itachi knew that it definitely wasn't nothing.

"Well, if you're sure. I do want you to know that you can speak to me about matters that trouble you. We are now peers. Comrades, if you will." The Uchiha informs her.

That was very kind of him. The Heiress would get flustered a lot less around him, if Itachi would stop being so kind. Then maybe, she could focus again.

"I'm glad that you feel that way. It's really nothing though. I should probably go. I don't want my family to worry and they will worry, if I'm away for too long." Hinata says.

"Of course. Give my best to your Clan." The older ninja replies diplomatically.

She nods and mutters some sort of acknowledgement that she had heard him, before heading off. That was a close one. It was all Sakura's and Ino's fault really.

Hinata likely never would have thought of him in such an inappropriate way, if they hadn't meddled. She'd wait a few days and then confront them about it. The Hyuga Heiress would do so when they least expected it!

"He's always been like that though." She whispers to herself as she makes her way back to her home.

 _She remembered the day that she first "met" Itachi and Sasuke. It was Entrance Ceremony. Itachi had walked in, carrying Sasuke on his back._

 _Sasuke had only been a small child at the time. So had she. Despite that, Hinata couldn't help, but feel a little jealous of him at that moment._

 _"Hinata, pay attention. Your future instructor is speaking." Her father chided her gently._

 _The Uchiha Clan was obviously a much warmer one than the one she had been born into. They were often physically affectionate with each other. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence to see the younger members of the Clan carted about in such a fashion._

 _That sort of thing would never happen amongst the Hyuga Clan. It would be undignified. If there was one thing that her family cared about other than protecting the Byakugan, it was dignity. The public's opinion of their Clan was very important to them._

 _"Yes, father." She replied dutifully._

 _Oh well. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on such things. The Uchihas were one way and her Clan was another. Neither was better than the other. They just had adopted different survival strategies. That was all._

 _Though they did look happier. Clearly, Sasuke worshiped the ground his brother walked on and Itachi returned the favor. Itachi had such a kind smile…_

"Well no use dwelling on it." She says with a sigh as she darts inside the Hyuga Estate.

Unbeknownst to her at that moment, Sakura had just found Ino. The two of them were now in the flower shop. Plotting. Plotting together.

"So how did the first day of lessons go?" The bubbly blonde inquires.

"Pretty great! He asked her to be his partner! It was so sweet. I really think that we're making progress!" The pink haired girl replies.

Ino nods. She never would have seen this coming. Itachi and Hinata? The two couldn't be more different. Well she supposed that they were both pretty quiet people, but still.

"That's amazing. You didn't have to prompt him to ask her at all?" The other ninja asks.

It'd be less romantic, if Sakura had to give them a shove. Still she wouldn't argue, if her friend had. Whatever worked.

"No. He did it all on his own. That's the best part. I really think that they're made for each other. It's just their Clans that are keeping them apart." The medic answers thoughtfully.

This was just so tragically romantic. Two young people in love, kept apart by fate. Their duty and loyalty to their Clans keeping them from following their hearts' desires.

"That's a good start. I think we're going to need to kick things up a notch or two though. I mean it's a good start, but they're a long way from saying, _"I do."_ You know what I mean?" The Leaf Ninja asks.

"Yeah. I totally get it. Though I'm not sure what else can we do. Love notes?" Sakura suggests.

Ino shakes her head. No. That was too obvious and too bold at this time. Besides, there was the chance that Hinata or Itachi might be able to tell that it wasn't from their true love.

"No. I think that we should go with something more subtle. Flowers. My family does own this shop. We can find the perfect flowers to send her and a standardized card. That way, she won't be able to tell from the handwriting." Ino says with a wink.

"That's brilliant. Hmm. What kind of flowers do you think would be best?" Sakura asks.

Ino pauses as she considers that. Well roses were traditional, but Hinata and Itachi weren't exactly a traditional couple. Something a little more subtle was probably called for.

"Maybe, lilies." The other woman suggests.

"Why lilies?" Sakura asks in confusion, not sure why her friend had suggested that kind of flower in particular.

That was understandable, of course. Sakura might have been named after flowers, but Ino actually worked in a flower shop. It was only natural that she would know more about the symbolism than her friend did.

"Well they're a very elegant and innocent flower. Understated. I think they suit Hinata rather well. Besides, roses are a bit more aggressive than I think Itachi would be willing to risk at this point." Ino reasons.

"Yeah. You're right. What color are you thinking?" Sakura asks.

"Definitely white. Innocence. Their love is innocent and pure. It's all about the symbolism." The blonde explains with a wink.

Sakura nods in agreement as they both get the flowers and card ready. This was going to be perfect! Ino just knew it.

Meanwhile Itachi was heading home. He chuckles when he watches Sasuke heading towards the District with Naruto by his side. The boy had a bag of tomatoes in his hand.

"She did it again?" He asks.

"Yeah! Hanabi totally is crushing on the bastard! It's cute, really." Naruto says happily.

"It's not cute. Do you have any idea what Hiashi is going to do, if he finds out?" Sasuke snaps at Naruto.

Itachi sighs and nods his head in understanding. He could certainly see his brother's point. Well at least he wasn't the only one who might be earning Hiashi Hyuga's wrath.

Perhaps, his anger would be diluted. The man now had two targets of his ire. Himself and Sasuke. With that in mind, they both might somehow still survive this ordeal.

"Well Sasuke, she's still young. I think that he'll see reason in your case. Unfortunately, my own is not that simple." He says with a dramatic sigh.

"Why? Wait. What's going on with Itachi? Why would Hinata's dad be mad at Itachi?" The sapphire eyed ninja inquires.

Oh boy. Naruto had no idea what the world of Clan Politics was truly like. Admittedly, Itachi found that a bit strange.

The man was best friends with his brother. Sasuke was part of one of the largest Clans in the Leaf. Apparently, the topic had simply never come up in their many years of friendship.

"There are rumors going around about myself and Hinata being romantically involved. There is no truth to them of course, but that doesn't stop them from spreading. To say the least, Hiashi Hyuga wouldn't want me as his son-in-law and it is likely going to be a bone of contention between our Clans." Itachi explains.

"What? Why wouldn't he want you as a son-in-law? I mean you're awesome!" Naruto says.

"Forget it, loser. It's complicated." Sasuke says with a sigh.

Yes. It was complicated. Very complicated. Thank goodness, for foolish little brothers who made excellent summarizers. It was as good an explanation as any and Itachi really didn't feel like explaining the long and complicated history that existed between the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans.


	5. Chapter 5

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5

The next morning, Hinata heads inside the hospital for her second medical lesson. The first one had been rather simple. Anyone could have taken someone's pulse, but she had a feeling that they would be moving onto more challenging tasks soon enough.

"Lady Hinata, these are for you." One of the hospital workers says with a kind smile as she hands the Hyuga Heiress a rather large bouquet of flowers.

"For me?" She asks in confusion as she takes the flowers.

The worker nods and gestures to the card. Clearly, she was just as curious about the flowers as Hinata was. Well the Hyuga Heiress couldn't really blame her. It wasn't every day that someone sent _her_ flowers!

"Yes. Usually, people only send flowers to hospital when someone is sick. In this case though, it seems like you might have a secret admirer." Amira continues.

Amira was in charge of delivering the mail in the hospital. Someone had to do it and the thirty something brunette was just the right person for the job. The woman was quick and she had an amazing memory. That meant that she was perfect for the position. That and she respected people's privacy.

"Oh I doubt that." Hinata says with a blush as she reads the card.

 _ **To Hinata Hyuga,**_

 _ **I had a wonderful time with you at your Introduction and look forward to getting to know you better while we continue our medical training.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Itachi Uchiha.**_

Hinata blinks. Itachi had sent her flowers? She hadn't been expecting that. She smiles and sniffs them. It was sweet, really.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are they from?" Amira asks.

Thank goodness that the other woman hadn't read the card. If she had, the Hyuga Heiress knew that she would have been doom. Word of Itachi sending her flowers would have spread like wildfire.

"Oh they're from my cousin, Neji. He just sent me flowers to congratulate me on making it into the medical program." The lavender eyed woman lies.

"Oh. That was kind of him. Well have a good day. I have a lot more mail to deliver. I know that you can do it, Lady Hinata. You'll make a fine medic." The brunette says with a wink as she flounces off.

Clearly, the other woman was trying to encourage Hinata on her path towards becoming a medical ninja. Once she was out of sight though, Hinata lets out a sigh of relief. She bought it. That was something of a miracle because the heiress knew that she was a horrible liar and that had been a lie.

These flowers weren't from Neji Hyuga. They were from Itachi Uchiha and that made all the difference. Maybe, he was just being nice. Though she doubted it.

"Would he really risk all this just because he wanted to be friendly?" She mumbles to herself.

She didn't know which seemed more unlikely. The Uchiha Heir sending the Hyuga Heiress flowers because he wanted to be nice or Itachi actually having feelings for her? The Pride of the Uchiha Clan having romantic feelings for her just seemed so absurdly unrealistic that it almost made her want to laugh, but still he had sent the flowers.

Frankly, Hinata didn't know what to make of it. She did know one thing though. She was going to have to hide these flowers before anyone else saw them. It would raise too many questions and Hinata didn't know if everyone else would believe her, when she said that Neji sent them to her.

"There we go." Hinata says as she stuffs her flowers into her locker.

The hospital was nice enough to give all the aspiring medics a locker to put any personal belongings in while they were doing classes. Right now, the bluenette couldn't be more grateful for this fact. It was just big enough to hide the flowers.

"Hello, Hinata." A now familiar voice says a few feet away from her.

 _Itachi._ It was Itachi. Hinata didn't know how to handle this situation! He had sent her flowers and now he was speaking to her. Was he just being friendly or romantic? She didn't know.

What was the proper protocol in a situation like this? Their Clans normally just avoided each other. She certainly couldn't avoid him now that they were in the same medical program and it would be rude to just ignore his greeting.

"H-ello." She squeaks.

Hinata mentally kicks herself for how she sounded. She sounded like a mouse. Whether or not Itachi actually had feelings for her, the Hyuga Heiress knew that she needed to work on that.

She was going to be the leader of one of the largest Clans in the Leaf. Squeaking just wasn't acceptable when you in such a prestigious position. That and she doubted that her patients would take her very seriously, if she did that.

"Are you alright? Your face is turning completely red. Do you have sunburn or feel unusually warm? You might be running a fever." The Uchiha inquires in a concerned fashion.

He really did sound like he was genuinely worried. Uchiha or not, Itachi was a very nice person. Sasuke and Shisui didn't seem so bad either. Maybe, the bad blood that existed in the past because of the Wars was just best left forgotten.

Their Clans were far more alike than they were different. It could be the start of a new era. A new era where Hyugas and Uchihas got along and weren't both participating in an unspoken rivalry for supremacy.

"Oh. I'm fine. No. I don't think it's sunburn. After all, it is winter. I'm probably just coming down with a mild fever. It's nothing to worry about." She says quickly.

Good. She didn't stutter that time. That was progress. Really, Hinata felt that she deserved some sort of medal.

There were a lot of women who were far more confident than her, that stuttered around the gorgeous Uchiha. Actually, they were all gorgeous to varying degrees. She had yet to meet an Uchiha that would truly consider unpleasant looking.

"Alright. You should take care then. Perhaps, you should start wearing a scarf. Just to be on the safe side." He counsels her.

"Yes. I'll be s-ure to do that from now on." She says with a shy smile.

Damn. She had stuttered again. Well at least she was making some progress. She still couldn't believe that this was happening. Itachi Uchiha was sending her flowers and concerned about whether or not she was developing a cold.

"We should get going or else we're going to be late to our lesson. We wouldn't want to steal Kakashi's title as the least punctual ninja in the Leaf Village, now would we?" The other ninja inquires professionally, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye that let Hinata know that Itachi was joking.

"Yes, that would be horrible. Kakashi Sensei has worked very hard for that title. It would be rude for us to take it from him." The Hyuga Heiress replies.

That's when she notices Itachi was offering her his arm. Against her better judgment, Hinata decides to take it. After all, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Though she knew that eventually, she was going to have to talk to Itachi about all this.

This could easily get out of hand and that wasn't something that she wanted to see happen. Hinata was going to act fast, if she wanted to prevent a disaster. There was simply, no other choice.

Meanwhile Sasuke was heading off with Shisui. He considered dragging Naruto with him, but he decided against it. The blonde didn't understand subtly and that was what this situation called for.

"Do you really think that we have to speak with them about this? They're just girls being girls. Women love playing matchmaker." Shisui asks.

"I think that we have to talk about it. I know these two. They went to the Academy with me. Sakura and Ino take it to another level. A level that could trigger a Clan War, if they aren't careful." Sasuke mutters.

Shisui might think that it was amusing and it probably would have been, if Hinata's last name wasn't Hyuga. Not that Sasuke had anything against the woman personally or even her family, really. It was just that their Clans didn't have the best history with each other.

Assuming that by some miracle their Clan would sanction such a relationship, there was still Hinata's family to consider. Sasuke couldn't imagine Hiashi Hyuga approving of his daughter being with an Uchiha. The Byakugan bloodline was far too precious to him and he was too suspicious of their family to allow such a thing to come to pass.

"I think that you might be being a little overdramatic. Just because Sakura and Ino fancy themselves matchmakers, doesn't meant that they'll be any good at it. That's assuming that Itachi and Hinata feel that way about each other. As far as I can tell, Itachi is just being nice to the girl." His cousin replies.

Sasuke nods. He was sure that had been Itachi's intention in the beginning. It might still be his intention, but he wasn't going to take any chances. That meant that he was going to have to speak with Sakura and Ino.

He really didn't want to have to do that. The Uchiha could only hope that they had outgrown their ridiculous crushes on him. It was bad enough that he had to worry about Hanabi. He didn't need to deal with two fully trained ninjas lusting after him.

"Yeah. Probably. We need to make sure Ino and Sakura understand that though." Sasuke says firmly.

Shisui nods in agreement. Thankfully, it didn't take long to find the girls. They were both at the Ramen Shop. Well that was convenient.

"Sakura, Ino, may we have the pleasure of your company for a few moments?" Shisui asks smoothly.

Lovely. Now, they were both going to think that Shisui was madly in love with them. Their imaginations were really scary. Sasuke didn't even want to know what went on in the mind of a woman when she thought someone liked her. Somehow they could add 2 and 2 and get 22. It was insanity, really.

"Of course." Ino says with a grin.

It wasn't like Sasuke expected them to say anything differently, but that was a relief. Step One was now over. Now, onto Step Two.

Step Two was likely going to prove much harder to accomplish than its predecessor though. Sasuke mentally sighs and braces himself. That was alright. They'd figure something out. He and Shisui were technically both geniuses, after all. It was time to put their high I.Q.s to good use.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sakura asks.

"It's about Itachi and Hinata. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about them." Sasuke whispers as the Uchihas sit down next to the female ninjas.

The smartest thing that any of them could do for everyone involved was to nip this in the bud. The sooner, the better. Well at least that was the case in Sasuke's mind.

He was going to protect his brother from these harpies. These harpies who apparently thought they were Cupid. Whatever. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"What do you mean?" Ino asks innocently.

"We saw you two at the hospital. It's rather obvious that you seem to be encouraging Itachi and Hinata to enter a romantic relationship. That's not advisable. There is a long history between our Clans and most of it, isn't very pretty." Shisui whispers.

Sasuke nods approvingly at his cousin. That was probably the best way to explain it. Maybe, they would back off now.

The two women didn't mean any harm, but it was time to set the record straight. Sakura came from a civilian family. It was unlikely that she really understood how Clan Politics worked. As for Ino, well she was just a romantic. Her head was always in the clouds. It was time to bring her back down to Earth.

Sakura and Ino look at each other for a moment. Sasuke knew that they were doing that weird thing. That thing where people could communicate just by looking at each other. Somehow, they seemed to know exactly what was on their mind.

"They would be really cute together though." Ino pouts.

"Yes, I suppose that's true. Unfortunately, there's no reason to provoke hostilities between the two Clans over something that hasn't even happened yet. If Hinata and Itachi decide they wish to be together, that should be their decision. As well intentioned as your efforts are, they aren't necessary." Shisui says softly.

The younger Uchiha couldn't help, but admire his cousins ability to let people down easy. Sasuke privately decides that he should work on his own technique for such things. Sadly, he was no Shisui. He just wasn't naturally gifted at such things.

"I guess it's not a good idea. I mean we don't wanna start any fights or anything." Sakura says.

"Good. So you'll stop trying to set my brother up with Hinata?" Sasuke asks.

Was it really going to be this easy? Sakura and Ino were going to back of just like that? Forget Shisui of the Body Flicker. It was more like Shisui of the Miracle Maker.

"It'd be the smarter thing to do. We don't wanna cause any trouble." Ino says.

Sakura nods her head in agreement. Unbeknownst to Sasuke and Shisui, the girls had already crossed their fingers behind their backs. This wasn't going to be the last of their matchmaking attempts. Not by a long shot.

"Great. Well that's really all that we wanted to talk about. Come, Sasuke. I think that your father wanted us to tend to the fields today." Shisui says.

"Of course. Thank you, for understanding." Sasuke says as he heads off with his cousin.

He still wasn't sure, if he actually believed them or not. Though Sasuke supposed time would tell. Maybe, Shisui really was just that good.

Meanwhile Hinata and Itachi make their way to their medic lesson. Today, they were learning how to check a person's breathing and heartbeat using a medical instrument. Stethoscopes.

"Alright, everyone. I want you to partner up and practice checking each other's breathing and heart rates." Tsunade says, a few minutes later.

She had just finished demonstrating how to do it. It looked easy enough. Itachi desperately looked around for a partner, but everyone had already paired off.

Well everyone except for him and Hinata. It looked like they were going to be partners again. Damn it. This wasn't going to help stop the rumors from spreading!

"You can go first." Itachi says pleasantly.

It would do no good to panic. He really didn't want to make the other ninja feel self-conscious. Truly, he didn't mind working with her.

Tragically, he knew what was going to happen. If they kept partnering up, people were going to talk. His father wasn't going to be pleased to put it mildly and he shuddered to think what Lord Hiashi would have to say about the matter.

"Alright." Hinata says as he gets behind him and checks his breathing.

If it wasn't for the Introduction, Itachi wouldn't have noticed Hinata much. She would have been just the Hyuga Heiress to him. A shy woman who had graduated with his foolish little brother. Noticed mostly for her social position more than anything else.

Now though, that was definitely changing. He could feel her soft and gentle touch on his back. Her natural scent of lavender and lilacs teasing his sentence and see her sweet smile. He was becoming dangerously attached.

"Your breathing is good. I'll check your heart." Hinata says.

The innocent woman likely had no idea that those words could be taken the wrong way. Though that seemed to be becoming something of a tradition with them. These medical lessons were likely going to be the death of him at this rate.

"That's good to know." Itachi says as he shoots her a reassuring smile.

He had always considered becoming a medic. It was a thought in the back of his mind. Itachi never thought that he would be afforded the opportunity to actually pursue this specialization though.

It was just his luck that when the opportunity arouse, Hinata took it as well. The Hyuga woman with a sweet, shy smile and whose scent was soothing. Her touch even more so.

"Mhm." Hinata agrees as she checks his heartbeat.

If things were different, maybe they could have been friends. Perhaps even more. Things weren't different though.

He would be doing her a favor, if he left her alone. Itachi wasn't going to bring the wrath of Hiashi Hyuga down on the unsuspecting ninja. That would just be cruelty.

"How is my heart?" The Uchiha Heir inquires.

"Strong and steady. Though I think it might be beating a bit faster than normal. Are you nervous about the medical lessons?" The bluenette inquires.

Well that was as good an excuse as any. He could hardly tell her the truth. The Hyuga Heiress had just unwittingly provided him with a lifeline. He might as well take it.

"Yes, I suppose I am. Nothing to be worried about though. I imagine that as we get further into the program, my nerves will calm down." The Uchiha replies smoothly.

"Oh good. Well it's your turn to do me then." She tells him.

She _really_ had to stop saying that when they were together. His mind was fully aware of what the Hyuga woman meant, but his body certainly wasn't listening. Honestly, he was getting to be as bad as Shisui.

Just because a beautiful woman was saying things that could be interpreted the wrong way, didn't mean that one should get excited. It was obvious that her intention was as innocent as her smile. For now though, he really should focus on the actual lesson.

"Alright. Let's check your breathing then." He states as he proceeds to do exactly that.

This was such a simple lesson. Though he suspected that was because it was only the second. In a way, he was grateful for the seemingly mindless task of checking her breathing and heartbeat. Itachi Uchiha wasn't sure that he could have handled anything more complicated than that at the moment.

"Okay." Hinata says.

Her voice was so filled with trust. Itachi had no idea how someone so completely trusting could be a ninja. Let alone the Heiress of one of the most powerful Clans in the Leaf Village (and in the Five Great Nations).

"Your breathing seems alright to me as well." He comments a moment later.

Perhaps a bit fast, but he suspected that he knew why. Hinata was a bright young woman. She likely knew what he did. They were going to be the subject of much gossip for a long time.

There was nothing that they could really do about it though. They were both in the same medic program. They were naturally going to see each other.

"Good. I'm glad." She mumbles.

"Of course. Let's check your heartbeat." He says as he places the medical instrument over her ample chest.

Itachi would never admit it out loud, but he was a breast ninja. He supposed that many men fell into that camp though. It wasn't unusual to have a healthy appreciation for that part of the feminine form.

At the moment, that was rather inconvenient. The Hyuga Heiress did have a far more curvaceous form than many female ninjas. Most female ninjas tended to be willowy, but not Hinata. She had certainly blossomed in the proper places.

"Your heart is still beating fast than normal. You really shouldn't be so nervous." He chides her gently.

Perhaps, he should say the improper places though. His thoughts were certainly flowing in that direction. If this kept up, he was going to get them both into a lot of trouble.

Hinata certainly didn't need the grief that his appreciation for her beauty would cause. For now, he'd just try to ignore the growing physical attraction and leave it at that. There were many ninjas that he had found to be desirable. That didn't mean that he was going to act on said desires though.

"I'll try not to be." She promises him.

That would just be foolish. Shisui might flirt with almost every pretty girl that he saw, but not Itachi. He knew better.

Well Shisui knew better as well. He was fortunate though. Shisui wasn't the Heir. So that meant he could "play the field" a bit more than Itachi could. (Well technically, Itachi could do s as well…it just would have been unwise to do so).

"Good. Your heart is in fine working order as well." He says.

"I'm glad to hear it. Itachi, um there's something that I need to speak to you about. It's about the flowers." She says.

Flowers? What flowers was she talking about? He didn't know anything about any flowers.

"Could you clarify?" The raven haired man inquires back.

"The flowers you sent me. The white lilies. They were really pretty and I would like to be your friend, but I don't want you to get caught up in an uncomfortable situation because you're being nice to me. People are already talking about us." She mumbles and her face turns a brilliant shade of red.

Scarlet red. Itachi didn't know that people could blush that deeply, before he got to know Hinata. Apparently, they could though.

Idly, he wonders how far down that blush extended. Mentally, he scolds himself for such a thought though. Thoughts like that were exactly the kinds of thoughts that he should be avoiding like the plague.

"Hinata, I didn't send you any white lilies. I don't know what you're talking about. As for the gossip, well that will die down. You needn't worry about that." He says in confusion.

He would have remembered sending her flowers. Though he knew Hinata well enough to realize that it was highly unlikely that she would lie about such things. What would be the benefit in doing so? That and she just didn't come across as a deceitful person to him.

"But the card said they were from you." The bluentte says as she frowns in confusion.

"Hinata, why don't you show me these flowers and that card. I am very much curious about them. I swear to you that I didn't send anyone, any flowers." He says as the lesson ends.

"Alright. They're in my locker though." The Hyuga Heiress informs him.

She leads him to the locker room and opens her locker. After doing so, Hinata pulls out a rather large bouquet of white lilies and shows him the card. It was a standard card that you could find at any flower shop. It looked like whoever had bought the flowers had merely inserted their names.

"I don't know who sent you these, but I didn't. I believe someone is trying to play a trick on us or meddle. I wouldn't worry about it though. It's just flowers. They are lovely. In that way, they certainly do suit you. That much I'll confess to." He says with a smile.

The poor girl. No wonder her heartbeat had been faster than normal. She was nervous for a good reason. Hinata might have thought that he was seeking some sort of forbidden romance with her.

"Oh. Well thank you, for being honest with me. I'm really sorry about all this." She says, blushing even redder.

Itachi wasn't sure how that was possible, but apparently it was. The poor girl looked positively mortified. Damn. He was going to have to do something to comfort her.

"It's not your fault, Hinata and I'm glad that you felt comfortable enough with me to tell me about this. I suppose just because we are from different Clan doesn't mean that we can't at least be friends. Though I wouldn't make an effort to advertise that fact to your father. I'm fairly certain he despises me for my last name." Itachi tells her with a mischievous smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6

The next day, Hinata sighs. She was going to have to put her foot down. The Hyuga Heiress knew that her friends meant well, but their meddling was getting out of control.

"Ino, Sakura, I'm glad that you agreed to meet me for some training. That and I w-anted to talk to you about a few things." The Hyuga woman manages to say.

Frankly, it was getting more than a little embarrassing. Hinata had sincerely thought Itachi sent her flowers and he hadn't. They had made her look foolish. She was lucky that the Uchiha Heir was so understanding. Their efforts could have ended in disaster, otherwise.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Sakura says cheerfully.

"Me neither. So how are things going at the hospital?" Ino inquires with false innocence.

Hinata wasn't a fool. She knew what they were really asking. How are things with Itachi? Well she was going to tell them how things were with the Uchiha!

"Things are going well enough. The lessons are still rather simple, but I have to admit th-at I was rather embarrassed, yesterday." She grumbles.

"Embarrassed? What happened?" The pink haired woman asks.

That made something inside Hinata snap. Her friends were really insulting her intelligence here. She might be shy, but she wasn't oblivious. Hinata knew that they sent the flowers.

"I was sent flowers. The card said they were from Itachi, but he denies ever sending them to me. I know that the two of you sent them and I'm glad that you are willing to go to such lengths to ensure my happiness, but I don't need your help. Not this time. Please, just stay out of my love life." The lavender eyed woman states firmly.

She was going to have to be resolute in her resolve. There really was no other way. If Hinata showed any sign of wavering, Sakura and Ino would take it as invitation to meddle.

"Hinata, we were just trying to help. You and Itachi seemed to be getting along great." Ino replies warily.

It wasn't a surprise that she was wary. Hinata had never been this firm with them before. The two female ninjas probably didn't know what to make of that situation. That only gave Hinata an advantage though.

An advantage that she was going to use wisely. The Hyuga Heiress hated that it had come to this, but sometimes you had to stand up for yourself. It didn't matter that they were her friends. The two of them had no right to interfere like this!

"Itachi was being nice. He's not in love with me and even if he was, that's between the two of us. I'm sorry, but I didn't ask for your help. Not in this." Hinata replies.

"I know that we might have gone a bit far, but we were only trying to help. You really shouldn't sell yourself short. Why wouldn't he be in love with you? You're very lovable." The medic protests.

Hinata mentally sighs. She was going to have to fight dirty. She hated to do it, but the Hyuga Heiress knew what she had to do. It was the only way they were ever going to learn.

"That's nice of you to say, but he isn't in love with me. If he was, I'm sure Itachi would say so. He's not sh-y. He doesn't need your help in courting women and I don't want your help in finding a suitor! It'd be one thing, if you were just trying to help me. You're not though. You're interfering with the Hyuga AND Uchiha Clans. That's dangerous!" The young woman snaps at them.

She sees Ino and Sakura wince. Good. Maybe, she was finally getting through to them.

"I don't want to be mean, but I guess I have to b-e. You can't do this. If you keep meddling like this, you m-ight start a Clan War!" Hinata continues and with that, she flits behind them and locks up their chakra points.

Normally, that wouldn't have been an easy feat. Sakura and Ino were formidable ninjas in their own right, but they had never seen the attack coming. Why would they?

Hinata was their friend. She would never "attack" them. So why would they be ready to dodge an attack coming from her?

"Hinata!" They both cry out in shock at her actions.

"I'm sorry. It's for your own good though. You need to stop. Things between the Uchihas and the Hyugas are already tense enough. Your actions could start a Clan War, which could lead to a Civil War within the Leaf. Sto-p it!" She thunders at them.

She couldn't believe that she had just done that. Hinata had just locked up the chakra points of her best friends outside of her team and yelled at them. It had to be done though. It was for the safety of the village.

"Hinata, we're sorry. We didn't think of it that way." Ino says quickly.

"That's right. You didn't think. I know that you care and you were just trying to help, but next time you should ask me. I'm the one that you are trying to set up. I should get a say. If you do something like this again, I don't know, if we can be friends anymore." She warns them and with that, Hinata proceeds to unlock their chakra points.

"Hinata, we really are sorry." Sakura says, after being released.

The Hyuga Heiress bites her lower lip. She knew that they meant that, but still. This was going too far. The bluenette could only hope that they had learned their lesson.

"I know you are. I need to think about this for awhile. I'm glad that you think highly enough of me that you believe someone like Itachi Uchiha would want to be with me, but you should have asked first." Hinata says, before she runs off.

The last thing that she wanted was for them to see the tears that were threatening to spill forth from her eyes. It was a good thing that Itachi was such a nice guy. If he wasn't, this could have ended in disaster.

Meanwhile Sasuke and Itachi just shake their head at Tsuki's antics. The cat was still agitated about Hiashi's earlier visit. She was marking everything that she could get her paws on in an effort to "defend their territory from the invaders."

"Tsuki, don't you think you are going a little overboard?" Itachi asks in amusement.

"No. I do not. Has the Hyuga been here, since I started thoroughly marking our territory?" The Ninja Cat demands.

Sasuke just shakes his head in amusement. It was hard not to laugh. The moonlight furred cat was so serious about all of this. It was sweet in a rather comical way.

"No, Hiashi Hyuga hasn't been back for awhile. Though I doubt that has much to do with your Marking." Itachi replies.

"Pft. Humans. Just because you've had this territory for awhile, doesn't mean someone else isn't going to try to take it from you. You are all lucky that you have me and the other Ninja Cats to protect you. Clearly, you don't understand how any of this works." Tsuki informs him.

It was hard. Really, really hard. Actually, it was almost impossible not to burst out laughing at that.

Tsuki sincerely thought that fluffing and scratching things was going to protect the Uchiha District from the Hyuga Clan. Apparently, animalistic instinct was a powerful force. Logic be damned.

"Right. Well thank you, for your valiant efforts." The younger Uchiha says.

"Of course, Sasuke. I'm going to go Mark the perimeter." Tsuki decrees and with that, she saunters off.

Sasuke chuckles as he watches the cat leave. Well that was interesting. He glances at Itachi, uncertain of how to broach the next subject without getting mocked.

"If only it was that easy to deal with all women." He says.

"Sasuke, your future wife is quite smitten with you. I don't know what you are complaining about." Itachi teases him and Sasuke twitches.

So much for not getting mocked. Oh well. He should have expected it. Sasuke supposed that it would be hilarious, if it wasn't happening to you.

"You know that she's way too young for me and it's not just Hanabi." The younger Uchiha says with a sigh.

He wanted to believe that Sakura and Ino would just drop it, but Sasuke didn't. He had a feeling in his gut that they were up to something and the Uchiha had learned to rely on his instincts. After all, they had served him well in battle. So why wouldn't they serve him equally well in other aspects of his life?

"Oh is it your other admirers? The ones who giggle and send you chocolate? Though there was that one red head who sent you lingerie. That was a shockingly bold move on her part. It's a good thing that mother didn't find out." Itachi continues merrily.

Sasuke feels himself twitch again. This wasn't going the way that he had hoped that it would. Damn it. He really needed to find a way to shift the conversation back to a more acceptable topic.

"Please don't mention Karin's little stunt again. She's an amazing Sensory Ninja and has unique abilities, but she's obsessed. I hope that she and Suigetsu get together, really. Then she'll be out of my hair." Sasuke mutters.

He mostly stuck to his Clan, but he did occasionally socialize with the Rookie Nine. Them and Taka. His other friends called themselves Taka because they had flown out of the Sound Village and into the Leaf to freedom. Much like an actual hawk.

"Well you merely need to get better at letting women down gently." Itachi says.

"Uh huh. Speaking of that, I don't know what I'm going to do about Hanabi and there are all sorts of rumors flying about you and Hinata. Shisui and I had to talk to Sakura and Ino about it. Those two were going to play matchmaker. You should watch out for them." The younger Uchiha warns him.

It might be nothing, but he doubted it. Sakura and Ino could be quite zealous. Therefore, it was up to Sasuke to warn Itachi about the impending disaster that might be looming over his unsuspecting head.

"Thank you, Sasuke. It's good to know that I can count on you and Shisui for matters such as this. Well I suppose that does explain it then." He mutters to himself.

"What explains what?" The raven haired ninja inquires warily, not at all sure that he liked where this was going.

"Hinata received some flowers. There was a card attached to them. The card stated that the lilies were from me, but I never sent her any flowers." Itachi answers him.

What?! They had sent flowers to Hinata under Itachi's name? This wasn't cute anymore. This was outrageous!

"Do you want me to Chidori them because I will. I will, if you want me to." The younger brother says.

"That's very kind of you to offer. Though I do believe that such methods might be a bit more dramatic than are absolutely necessary at this juncture." Itachi replies and his eyes were sparkling with mischief.

Sasuke couldn't agree. Those two needed to be taught a lesson. Some people just had to learn things the hard way. Clearly, Sakura and Ino fell into that camp.

Which was fine. Sasuke had no problem playing the part of the bad guy, if it meant protecting his elder brother from their craziness. None whatsoever!

"Alright. I guess a few fireballs might do the trick." Sasuke offers.

"Sasuke! I don't want you to attack teenage girls for acting like teenage girls!" Itachi scolds him lightly.

Why not? It might make them conduct themselves with a little more dignity. Why were all the women in this village crazy? It didn't make any sense.

Surely, there must be something in the water. Sasuke idly ponders the possibility that he should ask for the water to be inspected. It would certainly explain a lot.

"Alright. Let me know, if you change your mind though. I would be more than happy to do it." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, my foolish little brother." Itachi says with a serene smile as he pokes the other man's forehead.

"Hey! Will you STOP doing that?!" Sasuke grumbles at Itachi's now retreating form.

"Never, Sasuke. Never." The elder Uchiha informs him with a wink, before walking out of sight.

He needed to stretch his legs. More importantly, he really needed to clear his head. Was his attraction to Hinata really that noticeable? If Ino and Sakura had noticed it, surely others would as well.

That wouldn't end well. Hiashi Hyuga would go on a warpath. Itachi could foreseen his fondness for Hinata ending in much bloodshed and that just wasn't something that he could allow.

"It's such a shame, really." He says with a heavy sigh.

Were things different, he probably would have tried to court the shy heiress. She was beautiful, kind, honest, and had excellent chakra control. All of those were excellent qualities in a potential lover and wife.

There was just one problem though. Their last names. Their Clans would never allow such a thing. While he might tease Sasuke about Hanabi's admiration of him, they both knew the truth.

"Hiashi Hyuga would never approve of such a match." He whispers to himself.

The Hyuga Patriarch would never allow such a match to go through. No Uchiha was going to marry a Hyuga. Well not unless that Hyuga was willing to get disowned. Such a woman or man would have to be willing to leave everything behind for love.

"It would take an exceptional person to do that." He mutters to himself.

"It would take an exceptional person to do what?" Itachi hears a soft, feminine voice ask between quiet sniffles.

He recognized that voice instantly. It was Hinata. Unfortunately, the Uchiha also recognized that sound. Sniffling. She was crying or close to it.

"Nevermind. Are you alright? What is distressing you so?" The other ninja inquires gently.

They were now on one of the outskirt training grounds. Hinata looked like she must have run there. He didn't think that was just for training though. Something had clearly upset her.

"It's nothing important. I just got into a bit of a fight with a couple friends. It's not a big deal. I think that they understand now." She stammers out quickly.

That really was one of the nice things about Hinata. The woman seemed almost incapable of lying. It was an odd trait for an ninja, but it was one that he welcomed.

That fact was just one of the many reasons why she was better suited to be a medic instead of a combat ninja. Well at least in his mind, anyway. Combat ninjas needed to be able to lie convincingly sometimes. Hinata just couldn't or wouldn't.

"These friends wouldn't happen to be named Sakura and Ino, would they?" He asks as he reaches out to her to brush the tears away from her cheeks.

It didn't take a genius to realize what had happened. Those beautiful lavender orbs were now filled with unshed tears for obvious reasons. Ino and Sakura had meddled and now Hinata was terrified because of it.

"Wh-at? I didn't say that." She says quickly.

"You didn't have to. Sasuke and Shisui spoke with your friends earlier. Apparently, they had some scheme in mind to ensure that we would be in wedded bliss soon. Most likely before the year was out. Of course, they tried to reason with them. It doesn't sound as if my relatives were successful in this particular endeavor though." Itachi continues.

She was now blushing as red as a tomato. Once again, he was curious about that little quirk of her. How could one human being blush in so many different shades of red? It was fascinating, really.

"I'm so embarrassed. I didn't ask them to do this. I swear." She says in a rush.

"Hinata, it's alright. I know that you didn't ask them to assist you in securing my affections. You aren't the type of woman who would do that. If anything, you undervalue yourself. You don't force yourself onto people and you aren't a manipulator. Though I do have some concerns about your friends. I'm certain they are well-intentioned, but you should be very careful with what you tell them. Apparently, they won't hesitate to take matters into their own hands." The Uchiha warns her.

Hinata nods sadly. Itachi sighs and mentally kicks himself. This conversation was taking a rather depressing turn. He didn't want to see her so sad.

"I know. That's why I locked up their chakra points. They are flirting with a Clan War. I had to do it." Hinata defends herself.

"Hinata, you don't have to justify your actions to me or anyone else. They are the ones that should be sorry. Well them and me. I sincerely did not mean to cause you such trouble when I asked you to dance." Itachi says as he caresses her cheek.

"No! No! It's not your fault. You were just being nice. It's everyone else that is reading entirely too much into it." The bluenette says in a panic.

She was panicking, even more. He was really going to have to do something to calm her down. The woman was working herself into a frenzy and he was the one to blame.

"That's kind of you to say, but they aren't reading too much into it. My intentions towards you were purely innocent. That's no longer entirely the case and I believe they sense that." Itachi confesses.

"What you mean?" Hinata asks in confusion.

"I'm developing feelings for you that I shouldn't have. Not with the tensions between our Clans. It might be best to act on them now, before they grow further. That way, I won't wonder what it would have been like. I'll know and the mystery will go away." He tells her.

Hinata tilts her head to the side in an adorable fashion. She really was such an innocent. Itachi didn't know how to respond to such a gesture. So he did the first thing that popped into his head. He kissed her.

Unbeknownst to the two ninjas, they weren't entirely alone. They were being watched. They were being watched by someone very much interested in what was going on between them.

"Now, there's something one doesn't see everyday. A Hyuga and an Uchiha, kissing." The man observes as he watches.

This wasn't a chaste kiss. It wasn't the kind of kiss that could be exchanged between friends. No, this was a lovers' kiss.

While the figure couldn't make out the exact words that were being exchanged between the two, the body language spoke volumes. You could often lie with your words, but that wasn't always the case with one's body. Body language was the number one "tell" for whether or not someone was lying.

"Whatever shall I do with this knowledge?" He wonders out loud.

Well first things, first. He would need proof. Luckily, he happened to have a camera on his person. That would most certainly make things easier.

He quickly snaps a few photos. Thankfully, the flash was a rather mild one. The two lovers were far too enraptured with each other to notice such a trivial detail about their environment.

"Young love. It always tastes the sweetest." He mutters to himself as he checks to make sure that the pictures were successfully taken.

They were. He had his proof. Now, he just needed to decide what he was going to do with the proof.

Oh Hinata and Itachi hadn't done anything to him. No. Not personally, but this bit of information was too useful not to utilize.

"There has to be some sort of value in it." The ninja says to himself as he heads off.

"Did you hear something?" Hinata asks shyly, after breaking the kiss.

Had she imagined it or had lights actually flickered across her eyes as they kissed. She had heard of the expression about fireworks and kissing before, but Hinata had never taken it literally. Then again, she had never kissed Itachi Uchiha before either. Maybe, this was normal.

"I didn't hear anything." Itachi replies in confusion.

She had imagined it then. Itachi was always aware of his environment. That was why he had earned the rank of Jonin, far sooner than many people ever made Chunin. If he hadn't noticed something, then it hadn't happened.

"Oh. Good." She says as she brings her fingertips to her lips.

She could still feel his own her own. Her lips were still warm and there was a tingling sensation. At the moment, Hinata wished that she could come up with a more articulate way to describe what she was feeling. She couldn't though.

Itachi was an excellent kisser. The best kisser that she had ever kissed. Though Hinata supposed that wasn't a high bar. She had only kissed Kiba once before, on a dare. They had both been Genin.

"Very good." Itachi agrees with her, but the Hyuga Heiress sincerely doubted that he was talking about not hearing anything, now.

That wasn't a fair comparison. Kiba had been a boy and she had been a girl. Neither of them had known what they were doing.

Obviously, Itachi did know what he was doing though and her face turns scarlet at that knowledge. She had almost no experience in the art of seduction. Itachi most likely thought that she was a silly girl now and a horrible kisser!

"I I.. I'm sorry." She mutters quickly.

"Hinata, what are you sorry about? I'm the one who kissed you. Not the other way around. If anyone should apologize, it should be me. I behaved inappropriately towards you." He tells her as he caresses the side of her face.

There was something reassuring about his touch. Maybe, he didn't think that she was a bad kisser. Though that didn't really matter.

They were still from different Clans. Different Clans that had a less than warm history with one another. Her father would never approve of this match and he wasn't going to change his mind just because she thought that he was a good kisser.

"For…everything. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. I really do like you, but you know how our families feel about each other." The bluenette whispers.

"I admire your loyalty to your Clan. It's one of the most attractive things about you and unfortunately, I'm well aware. I had just wanted to kiss you to get this fixation out of my system. I'm afraid that it didn't work." He confesses to her.

Hinata blinks. She didn't know how to react to that. Itachi was saying that he had feelings towards her. Real feelings and they were from Clans that barely tolerated each other. This was a disaster and she really wished that her heart would acknowledge what her mind already knew, but that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon.

"What are we going to do?" She asks.

"I don't know. We'll figure something out." Itachi promises her.


	7. Chapter 7

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Do feel free to guess who "photographer" was. His identity will likely be revealed soon.

Chapter 7

Four days later and Hinata was rather relieved to get out of her medical lesson. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy learning about Medical Jutsus. She did, but the Hyuga Heiress knew that it was a bad idea for her to be that close to Itachi.

All she could think about was the way he kissed her. He had sounded so sincere in his declaration of love. Alright. Well maybe, love was a bit of a stretch. Still Itachi had confessed that he had _some_ feelings for her and that was something. Right?

"Oh it's beautiful." Hanabi says with a smile as she and Hinata were walking back towards the Hyuga Estate.

In order to get home, they had to walk through the Main District. It was common referred to as the Shopping District though. There were a lot of shops and places to eat on this street.

"What's beautiful?" Hinata asks her sister.

"Oh the kimono in the shop." The younger woman replies happily.

Hinata smiles and turns her attention the display that had enraptured her sister. Hanabi certainly had good taste. That was a rather high quality kimono to say the least. It probably cost more than most people made in a week.

"It is really pretty. Why don't we go have a closer look?" Hinata suggests with a smile.

"Yeah!" Hanabi agrees excitedly as she drags her sister into the shop.

Hinata laughs at the younger Hyuga's excitement and could only shake her head in amusement. It was only a dress. Granted, it was a very lovely dress. Still she couldn't help, but believe that Hanabi was overacting just a little bit.

"Can I help you ladies with anything today?" The clerk asks with a smile.

Hinata estimated the woman was probably in her fifties. She had beautiful chocolate brown eyes and matching hair that was pulled back into a tight bun. Completely her look was a sapphire blue kimono that flattered her willowy frame.

"Oh we're just looking. Do you have that kimono in the window in a size medium in the Girls' Section?" Hinata asks.

"Hmm. I'll have to check. Oh and for you, there's a sale on lingerie. If you're interested." The woman informs her as she bounds off in search of the kimono.

Hinata could feel her face burn red in embarrassment. She knew that the woman was just doing her job, but her family was far from open when it came to that sort of thing. That and the suggestion took her mind to places that it really shouldn't go.

It made her think of Itachi. Was he the sort of man who liked it when a woman dressed up for him? Would he think such things were frivolous? He did strike her as something of a romantic, but he was also a ninja. Ninjas probably didn't waste time on pondering such things.

"Thank you. Um maybe later. We're just have a quick look around." Hinata answers her.

She could only hope that no one else had overheard them. Thankfully, there were only a few people in the store. It was as bit too early for most people to be off work just yet.

The Hyuga Heiress knew that she should really not be thinking about such things. It was bad enough to think like that about someone who wasn't even courting her, but Itachi was an Uchiha. That meant that their relationship might trigger a Clan War.

"Hinata, what do you think?" Hanabi asks a few minutes later she comes out wearing a smaller version of the kimono that she had seen in the display.

"It's beautiful, Hanabi. You look beautiful." Hinata assures her with as mile.

"Do you think Sasuke will like it? This one is better than the one that I wore at your Introduction." She says smugly.

The bluenette could only blink. Oh boy. This couldn't be happening. It was one thing for her to have feelings for Itachi, but Hanabi was far too young.

Mercifully, Sasuke obviously knew that as well. So there wouldn't be a Clan War over Hanabi's crush. Unfortunately, the young girl could still get her heartbroken.

"I'm sure that everyone will like it." The elder Hyuga Sister replies.

The words felt lame to her own ears. She wanted to support her sister. Getting your first crush was a big milestone in anyone's life, but on an Uchiha? This wouldn't end well.

"Good!" Hanabi says cheerfully.

She was going to have to discourage her sister's crush. Hinata just wasn't sure how she was going to that though. The Hyuga Heiress wanted to discourage the crush, but not Hanabi.

That was a very thin line to walk and Hinata knew it. The future medic had to do it though. It was for her own good, their Clan's good, and the Leaf Village as a whole. A Clan War would be disastrous for everyone involved.

"Mhm. Let's buy the dress and head home. Father will be most displeased, if we are late for dinner." She reminds her as the two of them pay for the purchase and make their way back to the Hyuga Estate.

Meanwhile Itachi sighs as he tosses around some kunais. He was training with Sasuke, but it was only a half-hearted training session. Merely throwing the kunais at a moving target. Child's play, really.

"I don't like that sigh. What's going on?" Sasuke asks.

"If I tell you something, it will have to stay just between the two of us. I don't see a reason for my feelings to lead to complete chaos." He states.

He could tell Sasuke. Sasuke was his brother. He might be foolish, but the other man was loyal. He'd keep Itachi's secret.

"That sounds ominous. What's wrong? Do you want me to Chidori Sakura and Ino, after all? I'm still more than willing to do it. Just say the word." He says with a smirk.

"Sasuke, your willingness to Chidori those two girls is starting to become rather concerning to say the least. No. That's not it though." The elder Uchiha says with a heavy sigh.

Sasuke shrugs and Itachi chuckles. His brother was a very physical being. He expressed himself best through training and fighting. Really, he should think about finding the younger man a hobby now that he thought about it.

"What is it? You're starting to make me a bit nervous." The raven haired man inquires cautiously.

Itachi knew why Sasuke was so unsettled. He was normally the more composed between the two of them. Sasuke was all fiery passion and he was far more serene and calculating.

For Itachi to be unsure of himself, must have been quite the shock to his foolish little brother. Tragically, that illusion would have to be shattered today. The one where Sasuke thought that he was a genius, who could do no wrong.

"When I first asked Hinata to dance. I did so out of kindness. She looked so lost. It wouldn't right for someone to be alone on the night of their Introduction. Over time though, my feelings for her have grown. They've grown to the point where it is now cause for concern." The Leaf Ninja ventures cautiously.

For a moment, Sasuke just gaped at him like a fish. It would have been rather comical, had the situation not been so serious. Eventually, Sasuke manages to collect himself though.

"Have you lost your mind?! Hinata is a nice girl and all, but she is a HYUGA! You know what that means! I know that you know what that means!" Sasuke growls at him.

"I know what it means that's why I said that it has become cause for concern. I'm not an idiot, Sasuke. Remember, you're the foolish one. Not me." Itachi teases him gently.

Sasuke gives him a look of complete disbelief and Itachi couldn't entirely blame him. What he had just told Sasuke was the height of foolishness and yet, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. His feelings were Hinata were new, but they were beautiful.

They were worth seeing that incredulous look on Sasuke's face. Though Itachi knew that wouldn't be the biggest obstacle that they would face. There would be others who would react far more violently than his brother.

"I don't know. It looks like we've switched roles. You know, she'll have to become an Uchiha. If you are really in love with her and she feels the same way, she'd have to take your last name. She'd be disowned from her Clan." The other Uchiha warns him.

That was true. He had thought about that. Itachi couldn't marry into the Hyuga Clan, even if he wanted to. The Hyugas would never know where to put him in their Main and Branch House System.

He was the son of the Head of the Uchiha Clan. He had one of the strongest Sharingans ever to exist. It would be the ultimate insult to put him in the Branch House, but the reverse wasn't much more appealing.

"I've thought of that. I've only just told her how I feel about her. We aren't ready to march down any aisle yet." He whispers.

If he became a Main House Member, that would breed resentment. The Branch House Members would resent someone who wasn't even a Hyuga by blood being allowed into the Main House. The Main House Members would view him in a similar way. It would cause no end of strife.

If this was to go anywhere, Hinata Hyuga would have to become Hinata Uchiha. It was still far too early to seriously think about such matters, but Itachi wasn't naïve. He knew that was the only way that they could really be together.

"I'd be careful. You two might not be ready to get married, but it could happen. If Hiashi finds out, it might lead to a Clan War or an immediate marriage." Sasuke whispers.

Itachi nods. He knew that much. Still the heart wanted what it wanted. He really should now better than to fall in love with a Hyuga Princess, but he feared that it was already too late for Sasuke's reasonable counsel to have any real impact over what his heart obviously wanted.

"We'll be careful. That's assuming that she's even interesting in pursuing this rather masochistic relationship. It's bound to cause us both a lot of pain, but her especially. She would have to leave her Clan behind, if it ever progressed beyond a certain point." Itachi reluctantly admits.

"Itachi, I doubt Hinata is going to actually say no to you. I'd be fine with having her as a sister-in-law, but do you really think that she'd be happy with such an arrangement?" Sasuke asks.

Itachi pauses as he considers that question. He wasn't sure. On one hand, Hinata struck him as a romantic. The sort of woman who would do anything for love, but she was also very loyal to her Clan.

"I don't know. I suppose that I should go and speak with her on the matter before we decide to go any further." He says.

"That would probably be a good idea. Oh and make sure to change your clothes before coming back. Tsuki can smell other people on you. If she smells a Hyuga on you, well she's gonna ask questions." The other Uchiha points out.

The elder ninja nods his head in agreement. Sasuke was right about that. He really should change his clothes before coming back to the Uchiha District.

"Good point. I'll see you later." Itachi says as he heads off in search of Hinata.

Elsewhere the man heads to the Hyuga District. He had a plan now. At long last, he would finally be able to achieve his dream and it would all be thanks to Puppy Love.

That was an ironic twist. He had never found much use in that sort of thing, but that had all changed the moment he saw Itachi and Hinata kiss. This was a golden opportunity for him.

"One that I shouldn't squander." The man states as he walks into the Hyuga Estate and knocks on one of the massive doors.

It didn't take long for a Branch Member to open it. That was one of the nice things about this Clan. They were always so punctual and responsive.

"What are you doing here?" The Branch Member asks in confusion.

"I'm here to speak with Lord Hiashi. This is official business. It's something that cannot wait, I'm afraid." He states firmly.

Branch Members were such wonderfully obedient things. It was like clockwork really. As long as you gave them an order, they would follow it as long as they perceived you as being in a position of greater authority.

Fortunately for him, he was definitely in a position of authority over this particular Hyuga. As soon as he said it was official village business, the other man headed off. Hmm. That boy could certainly scout.

"I was told that you needed to see me and that it was an urgent matter." Hiashi Hyuga says, a few minutes later.

Hiashi Hyuga was a man who was every inch a product of his Clan. Proud, graceful, and strong. He was also utterly predictable. That wasn't his fault of course. He had been trained to be so.

"Yes, is there somewhere that we can speak privately? I do not wish to embarrass you. In another other circumstance, I would find young love sweet. Sadly, we are now discussing two bloodlines and one has to be careful about such things." The man says.

Hiashi blinks. It was obvious that he was confused, but who could blame him? He had been deliberately vague to avoid the Hyuga Patriarch causing a scene.

He needed a chance to show the other ninja, what he had. The pictures. The pictures would speak for themselves. The only problem was showing them to Hyuga.

"I'll admit that you have confused me greatly, but we will take this matter to my study. That will ensure that we'll have all the privacy that we could ever need." The lavender eyed man replies and gestures for the other ninja to follow him as he walks down the hall.

He nods approvingly and proceeds to do exactly that. This was going far better than he had ever dared to dream it would. Finally, he was going to achieve his dream!

"What was it that you wished to discuss? You mentioned young love and bloodlines. I'm afraid that I have no idea what you're talking about." Hiashi states, after shutting the door behind them.

"Oh. I think that you do. You're a very perceptive man, Hiashi Hyuga. I doubt that there is little that goes on under your roof that you're completely unaware of. I believe this to especially be the case when it pertains to your two daughters." He retorts.

Hiashi's eyes narrow. Well good. Now, he certainly had the other man's attention. Though he knew that he would have to tread carefully here.

The Hyuga Patriarch was not a man who would respond to threats well. He was the leader of one of the most powerful Clans in the Leaf Village. That meant that there was little that he could do direct to him, but there were other subtle ways to ensure his compliance.

"That sounds like both a compliment and a threat at the same time. Speak clearly. I will not tolerate deception in my family's own home!" Hiashi thunders at him.

"Very well. Have you heard of the old saying that a picture speaks a thousand words, my friend?" The older gentleman inquires pleasantly.

"Yes, I'm familiar with it. What of it?" The lavender eyed ninja demands.

Hmm. That wasn't a good sign. He was already losing his temper and their discussions had only just begun. He would have to tread very carefully here, indeed.

"It's an accurate expression, I'm afraid. I can't blame your daughter. He is a handsome boy. Women have always fallen rather quickly for a pretty face and he's quite the talented ninja. It's no wonder that she so easily fell into his harms." He states as he hands Hiashi a picture.

Hiashi glances at it and then his eyes widen in horror. Good. Good. Now, they were truly getting somewhere and the fun was about to begin.

"You were spying on my daughter!" He roars in outrage.

"Not exactly. I happened to stumble upon them in this heated embrace. You're rather fortunate that it was me and not someone else. I think that you know what would happen, if another Hyuga or an Uchiha had seen this instead of me." The photographer states smugly.

Yes. Yes, he had the other man right where he wanted him. It was only a matter of time before he could get Hiashi do back his bid for Hokageship.

"Are you threatening me?!" Hiashi snarls at him.

"No. Of course not. I would never threaten someone like you. I just think that it is in our best interest to work towards mutually beneficial goals together. I want to become Hokage. Your word in the voting process carries a lot of weight. If you were to back me, I would forget about this little incident. I'm certain that you'll be able to reign in your daughter. She's a smart girl. Hinata just got caught up in the moment." He smoothly replies.

"What my daughter does is none of your business and how dare you try to blackmail me?!" Hiashi growls as he rips up the picture.

The other ninja chuckles. He couldn't believe that the Hyuga was that naïve. Did he really think believe that he hadn't already made copies?

"That's one photo. I have made hundreds of copies. If anything happens to me, I have given the messenger hawks specific instructions to send one of them to the Uchiha District. Specifically, I have instructed them to give a copy to Fugaku Uchiha." He informs him with a wicked smirk.

The terrified look on Hiashi's face was all that he needed to know that his plan was going to work. Very soon, he would be Hokage. How strange life could be sometimes? Who would have thought that young love was the key to him acquiring the reigns of power?

Elsewhere Itachi was looking for Hinata. Luckily, he found her on her way back to the Hyuga Estate. She was with her sister, but that wasn't an issue for him. Not really.

The girl was still just a child. While she might have her first case of puppy love for Sasuke, it was highly doubtful that Hanabi Hyuga would be suspicious of him and Hinata.

"Hello, Lady Hinata. Lady Hanabi. I do apologize for interrupting your outing, but I would like to speak with Lady Hinata about our most recent medical lesson. I find myself struggling with it." He says.

Hanabi tilts her head to the side curiously. Itachi wasn't sure, if she actually believed him or not. Thankfully, it didn't look like the girl would protest.

"Oh alright. Hanabi, I'll meet you back at the Estate soon." The bluenette promises her sister.

"Alright. Should I tell father that you're going to be late for dinner?" The other girl asks sweetly.

"No. No. This shouldn't take too long. There's no need to worry your father about this." Itachi says quickly, not wanting to face the Hyuga Patriarch's wrath this early on.

Hanabi nods and Itachi leads Hinata into an empty building. It used to be a restaurant, but it had gone out of business. That meant that it was the perfect place to talk.

"I'm really sorry about pulling you away from your sister. I just felt that we needed to talk." Itachi says.

"We do need to talk, but I'm not really sure what I should say to you. I do like you. I like you a lot, but I don't want to c-ause problems." Hinata whispers and Itachi sighs as he reaches out to caress her cheek.

He honestly had no idea what he was going to do about her. She really was such a fairytale princess. Beautiful, kind, and in some ways completely fragile.

Hinata was a powerful ninja, but she just avoided conflict outside of battle like the plague. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing. Truth be told, that was Itachi's preference as well. He just didn't want the woman to get overwhelmed by everything though.

"I know that you don't want to cause problems. If you desire for me to stop pursuing you, I will do so. All you need to do is to tell me that." The elder ninja assures her.

"I don't want you to stop. I've never had someone that I liked, like me back in this way before. I just wish that things weren't so complicated." Hinata confesses.

Itachi finds himself smiling, despite the situation. Hinata really was completely innocent. He couldn't believe that a grown woman was using the word _like_ in that context. It sounded like something an Academy Student would say.

He supposed that was part of the attraction. The woman was utterly without any sort of guile. Compared to her, he felt rather dirty.

"I wish that as well. So what would you like to do? Now, that we have established this is a mutual interest?" He inquires gently.

He had done and ordered things as a ninja that would likely terrify Hinata. Fortunately, those days were now behind him. He was going to become a medic.

Now, he would be able to patch people up. Patch them up instead of killing them. It was perhaps the greatest relief that he had ever known. No longer would he be a weapon of destruction, but he would be an agent of healing.

"I don't know. Our families will never approve of whatever this is." The bluenette reminds him.

"Now, they likely wouldn't. If worse comes to worse though and we do decide that we are suited for each other, you could marry into my Clan. I would offer to join yours, but I wouldn't fit very neatly into your family's caste system." Itachi points out.

He knew that he was taking a gamble. There was a very good chance that talk like that would scare her off. Hinata already had a lot of doubts about their relationship. It probably wouldn't take much to get her to change her mind.

Itachi knew that this was important though. It was best to be honest with her from the start. After all, it was critical to make his intentions known before they went any further.

"You're right. You wouldn't fit into the Main House or Branch House. It would be difficult to place you. I don't know, if I could do it though. They would disown me. I don't know, if even Hanabi and Neji would ever speak to me again after that. I do know that I care about you though. I'm n-ot willing to just ignore that either." She says sadly as she looks at her feet.

That was something. Hinata did care about him. It was now just a question of how much. He would be asking her to give up a lot, if their relationship progressed very far.

"Perhaps, it would be best just to take it one day at a time." He suggests.

"I'd like that." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

It was at that moment, that Itachi Uchiha truly recognized the gravity of his current predicament. He was falling in love with the Hyuga Heiress. One way or another, their Clans would never be the same.

"Good. You should go back to your sister. It isn't very polite to keep her waiting." He says.

"Alright. I'll see you at our next medical lesson." Hinata says and with that, Itachi watches as his princess saunters off and he tries desperately to think of a way to break this news to the rest of his family.

There were so many ways that this could go wrong. Still at least Sasuke knew. That was something. His mother might encourage the match and so would Shisui. It was his father that would be the biggest obstacle.

"God help me. A Sharingan Dragon fell in love with a Princess." He observes with a quiet chuckle as he marvels at the unintentional irony that had taken over his life.


	8. Chapter 8

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews. I've seriously been blown away by how much people seem to like this pairing. I might do other Itachi x Hinata stories later on. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Everybody has something that they aren't good at and Hinata discovers what Itachi's weakness is in this chapter. I don't know if this is cannon or not, but let's pretend that it is because the Hyuga Princess is going to help our Sharingan Dragon conquer one of his fears.

Chapter 8

Hiashi Hyuga was not a happy man for two reasons. The first was that he was being blackmailed by Danzo. The second was that he was being blackmailed over his eldest daughter's inappropriate affection towards Itachi Uchiha. That meant that he was one furious Clan Patriarch.

Oh and did he mention that he was currently walking through the Uchiha District? A District that was filled with Ninja Cats and that he was allergic to cats?!

"Oh wait. That's three things." He mutters under his breath as he continues his long and miserable trek.

Hiashi supposed that he could be forgiven for his oversight. He had a lot on his mind and almost none of it was good. Honestly, he had always thought that Itachi was a more sensible sort than this!

The boy was supposed to be a genius and yet, he was foolish enough to try to seduce Hinata?! Hinata who was not only his daughter, but the Heiress of the Hyuga Clan? A Clan that Itachi's own family had a very complicated history with?

"He must be out of his mind." He grumbles.

"Who must be out of whose mind and what are you doing in Uchiha Territory?!" A familiar voice demands with a hiss.

Great. It was a Ninja Cat. He recognized this one as being Tsuki. Mikoto's companion. At that moment, the Hyuga man was forced to face the truth. Someone up there clearly despised him.

Why else would this be happening to him? Why else would his formerly sensible daughters be falling for two Uchiha men?! Why else would Hinata get caught kissing him and why else would he have to deal with a sassy Ninja Cat?!

"I'm here to see Lord Fugaku. It is a most urgent matter. It pertains to my daughter and his eldest son." He states firmly.

A Ninja Cat who was currently making him launch into a coughing and sneezing fit. He could feel his eyes running already. Damn it! This simply was not his day!

"I'll tell him. You really need to stop harassing Fugaku about his kittens though. It is most unbecoming." Tsuki grumbles as she flounces off.

Unbecoming?! What was unbecoming was that feline's attitude and the Uchiha Boys constantly trying to seduce his daughters! That was what was unbecoming!

"Lord Hiashi, I must confess that I am surprise to see that you have chosen to visit us again and so soon after your last visit. What can I do for you?" He asks.

"I feel that we should speak in private. Our Clans are about to be blackmailed." He states bluntly.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow and Hiashi sighs. He couldn't blame the man. Who could possibly be stupid enough to blackmail two of the most powerful Clans in the entire Leaf Village? Apparently, Danzo could be that stupid.

"Very well. We'll have tea at my home. Mikoto is quite excellent at preparing it." He states.

"Thank you. I do appreciate your hospitality and your agreeing to see me on such short notice. It's just, I didn't know what else do. This situation is becoming most concerning." He admits as he follows the other patriarch.

It didn't take long for them to arrive in the Main Uchiha House. The Uchiha District was far more humble than his family's estate. There was a certain charm to it. A charm in its simplicity.

There were no grand estates. All of the houses were of a respectable size and there were shops scattered around the District. He could also see some training grounds and fields. Hiashi had to respect a person who could grow their own food, really. Such self-sufficiency did appeal to his more pragmatic nature.

"Lord Hiashi, what can we do for you?" Mikoto inquires.

The poor woman was obviously confused. Why had he come here? Why had he come here without announcing that he was doing so? It was certainly a breach of Clan Protocol and they all knew it.

"Lady Mikoto, it pains me to say this, but we all need to discuss a most unpleasant matter. We are being blackmailed." He states with a sigh as he sits down and the married Uchihas did so as well.

"Blackmailed? What do you mean?" She demands.

"It's a very long story and one that is best discussed over tea. Tea has a way of calming one's nerves." He mutters.

For a moment, Hiashi looks around the kitchen and allows himself to be distracted. It was a nice kitchen. Marble countertops and a handsome blue tiled floor. At the moment they were all sitting around an oak table and everything was extremely clean.

Mikoto obviously took pride in her house. That or someone else did. He was also certain that he smelled cookies in the oven. Most likely for their sons or some of the younger members in the Clan. (He couldn't picture Fugaku Uchiha as a man who enjoyed eating cookies, but he digressed).

"And why do our nerves need calming?" Fugaku insists.

They really did make the perfect married couple. The two of them worked well as a unit. Hopefully, Hinata and Hanabi would have that with their own husbands one day.

He just really hoped that said husbands weren't Uchihas. They would have marry outside of the Clan. That or God forbid, one of them would become the new male head of the Hyuga Clan one day.

"Danzo wants to become Hokage and he believes that he has found a way to achieve that goal by blackmailing us." He whispers.

"And what does Danzo have on us, that he could use to blackmail both of our Clans?" The dark beauty demands once more.

That's when Hiashi braces himself. After this, there would be no going back. Everything rested on how the Uchihas would react to this. So he takes a deep breath and prepares his answer with great care.

"Danzo came upon Hinata and Itachi kissing. There is no mistaking what kind of embrace and kiss they were sharing. It was most assuredly not one of friendship. He took a picture and has made hundreds of copies. If we do not back his bid for Hokageship, he will tell everyone." Hiashi replies cautiously.

Meanwhile Itachi was with Hinata in one of the more secluded training grounds of the Hidden Leaf Village. He doubted anyone had used this one since before he was born. It should be safe.

"I have always admired your family's flexibility." Itachi confesses as he watches Hinata train.

The woman had decided to become a medic, but that didn't mean that Hinata would never see combat again. It was always better to be prepared, just in case. One never knew, if the village would fall prey to an attack.

"Thank you." Hinata says with a smile as she continues the graceful motions that had come to signify the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist Style.

He still wasn't entirely certain what they were going to do about their situation, but Itachi did know one thing. He wanted to spend more time with her. There was something there.

Something that he wanted to explore more. Unfortunately, their last names made that very difficult to do. He wasn't going to be stopped that easily though. Not with this view.

"You're welcome. You just need to be more confident. You have the chakra control, the flexibility, and sufficient power behind your strikes to defeat the vast majority of ninjas that might be your opponent. It's your hesitation that might become your undoing." Itachi warns her.

The last thing that he wanted was her hesitation to cost Hinata her life. All it would take was a split second's hesitation and that would be the end of her. Itachi found himself unable to bare the thought of such an outcome.

"I know. I'll try to get better." She promises.

"Trying is meaningless in the context of battle. You either do or you don't. I'm only saying this because I care about you. The last thing that I want is to lose you over something that I know is preventable." Itachi tells her with a sigh as he walks over to her and takes her hand in his.

He raises it to his lips and places a gentle kiss on it. Itachi couldn't help, but smile at Hinata's reaction. The woman was blushing redder than any fire that he had ever seen before in his life.

"I'll do it then. You d-on't have to worry about me. I am a Jonin too, after all." Hinata stammers out shyly.

Blushing and stuttering over a simple kiss to her hand. The woman was completely innocent. He almost felt guilty about the less than innocent thoughts that he had begun to have about her.

Well almost. Itachi wasn't completely naïve. He knew that it was just human nature to have such thoughts. The most important thing was whether or not, you decided to act on them.

"Good and I know that you're a formidable ninja. I wouldn't have trained with you, if I didn't believe that to be the case." He tells her with a soft smile.

Itachi wasn't sure how she did it, but Hinata was now blushing even redder than before. Really, this must be some sort of medical miracle. He didn't know that human skin could even turn that color!

"That's very nice of you to say." She says with a shy smile.

"It wasn't about being nice. It was about accuracy. This is about being nice. Well the feeling is nice, anyway." Itachi says as he kisses her.

He really should know better, but for some reason his body and heart were most certainly not listening to his mind. It was a most perplexing situation. He'd never really had this issue before.

Hinata smiles and kisses back. Itachi could call it accuracy, if he wanted. It was kindness. Really, it didn't matter what he called it. That's what it was.

"You're right. That does feel very nice." She whispers between heated kisses.

A transformation was occurring. Itachi's original kiss had started off as fairly innocent. That was no longer the case now. Hinata could feel Itachi's tongue dancing along her own and trying to coax her to respond in kind.

Itachi was a very skilled kisser. She didn't know why that fact surprised her. She had yet to see anything that he wasn't good at. Though surely, there had to be something.

"Good. I'm glad." He tells her as he caresses her back, after breaking the kiss.

There really had to be something. He was a genius, a talented ninja, an amazing kisser, and a great caresser. There simply had to be something that Itachi Uchiha did not excel at and Hinata was going to find out what it was.

"What is it?" She whispers as she rests her head on his shoulder.

His broad shoulder. In addition to being good at everything, he was also ridiculously attractive. This simply was not fair. There had to be something!

"What is what?" Itachi asks in confusion, not at all certain where the Hyuga Heiress was going with this.

"What aren't you good at? I have yet to see you fail or struggle with anything." She whispers.

Itachi blinks. He wasn't really sure what he had expected Hinata to say, but t hat wasn't it. The woman was just full of surprises.

"Apparently, I'm not very good at following common sense or resisting my attraction to you." He answers honestly and to his surprise, Hinata lightly swats him.

"You know that isn't what I meant." The bluenette says with determining shinning in her enchanting lavender orbs.

It was those orbs that were the cause of all the problems in their relationship. She was a Hyuga and he was an Uchiha. Generally, their Clans didn't mix. When they did, the results tended to be rather negative to say the least.

"I do? Well humor me then, My Byakugan Princess. Clarify what you mean and perhaps, I'll be able to give you a more satisfactory answer." He tells her with mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Well everyone has something that their bad at. I'm bad at telling people no. Naruto used to be really bad at Shadow Clones. Hanabi can't sing." She says.

Oh. That's what she was asking. It was no wonder why he hadn't understood her. The question had been entirely innocent and his mind was definitely not in an innocent place right now.

"Oh that. Well it is a bit embarrassing to admit this. It's not really that important either. Perhaps, we should discuss something else. Has Hanabi spoken of Sasuke to you?" He asks.

Hinata blinks. Itachi was actually embarrassed by this. She never thought that she would see the day when Itachi Uchiha was embarrassed about something.

"Yes, she speaks of him often. That's not the point though." Hinata protests.

"Oh alright. This is particularly humiliating to admit because one of my chakra types is water, but I've never been that good at swimming. I'm fine as long as the water doesn't go above my neck. I have this fear of drowning." He mutters.

Hinata tries her best not to gape, but she was almost positive that she was failing miserably. Itachi Uchiha was afraid of drowning. That was such a normal fear. She had never expected Itachi tell have that one.

"Thank you. Thank you, for trusting me with your secret and humanizing yourself to me. I was beginning to wonder, if maybe you were just gifted at everything. We can fix your fear of drowning though. I'm a very good swimmer and I would love to teach you get better." She says with a sweet smile.

"Hinata, that's very kind of you. It's not necessary though." Itachi replies.

"What if you get a mission where it's necessary to swim though?" The Hyuga Heiress asks as her lip begins to quiver slightly.

Damn it. How as he suppose to resist that sad look on her face? As Sasuke would say, he was so screwed.

"Alright. I suppose one swimming lesson wouldn't kill me." He says with a resigned sigh.

"Wonderful! You won't regret it! I promise!" She says excitedly.

Itachi sighs. He was pretty sure that he would, but he couldn't resist that look in Hinata's eyes. She was just so excited about it, that he couldn't say no.

Back at the Uchiha Estate, Mikoto and Fugaku stare at Hiash in stunned silence for a moment. Neither of them could quite believe their eyes. Fugaku was the first to speak though.

"I will speak to Itachi about this, but I feel that it is only wise to warn you. If the children are actually in love, there is very little that can be done to stop them from being together. Well short of disowning them and we are not going to disown our son." He states firmly.

"That's right. We are most certainly not!" Mikoto agrees.

"I wouldn't expect you to disown him. What you choose to do with Itachi is your concern. I don't want to disown Hinata either. She's my daughter. I love her, but she's behaving recklessly. You two know as well as I do, that our families have not always gotten along." He says with a sigh.

Mikoto glares at Hiashi. She knew that it wasn't his fault, but she didn't like where this was going. No, she didn't like where this was going at all.

"If you aren't going to disown her for loving the "wrong" man, what are you planning to do to that poor girl?" She demands.

"Love?! Fugaku was speaking in theoretically. We have not by any means, established that Itachi and Hinata are actually in love. It might just be a passing attraction. Not every person that one courts, ends up being their husband or wife." The Hyuga Patriarch protests.

That was most certainly true, but Mikoto wasn't going to allow Hiashi Hyuga to determine the Itachi's fate. She would be damned, if she let the other man control her son's love life! She would be doubly dammed, if she allowed Danzo to do so!

"I believe that everyone understands that this is all purely theoretical, but you haven't answered my wife's question." The Uchiha Patriarch states.

"I don't know. I don't want to disown her. I know that much. I couldn't disgrace her in that fashion. I couldn't bring such shame on our Clan, but I don't know that I could ever approve this match. There is quite simply too much bad blood between our families." The lavender eyed man replies.

"Well perhaps a marriage would fix it! And what is wrong with my son? He's highly intelligent, he's powerful, and he's training to be a medic. I fail to see what more you could want in a son-in-law." Mikoto seethes at him.

Hiashi blinks at her response. His interaction with Mikoto had been rather limited at best. Though it did appear that she was quite the tigress when it came to defending her children.

He could respect that, of course. That didn't meant that he appreciated her tone. The woman was dressing him down and he didn't care for that in the slightest.

"There is nothing wrong with Itachi in particular. I'm just saying that my Clansmen and Clanswomen would not react well to such a match. I highly doubt that most Uchihas would either." He counters.

The last thing that he needed was to get in a fight with Mikoto. The woman had retired from Active Duty Combat years ago, but she had been a Jonin. Hiashi could only assume that she was a formidable ninja in her own right.

"That's a fair point." Fugaku concedes.

"We're the head of our Clan. If we approved the match, the others wouldn't do more than grumble. I don't know how the Hyuga Clan functions, but that wouldn't matter. She would be taking his last name and an Uchiha, anyway." Mikoto states as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

If Mikoto didn't present enough of a threat, he damn sure knew what Fugaku's skill level was. At best, he was on par with the other man. At worst, the Uchiha Patriarch might be slightly stronger than him and he had the advantage of being in his own house. Not to mention, Mikoto would come to his aide.

A fight would only end disastrously for him. He needed to find a way to ease the tensions that were currently threatening to boil over in this kitchen. Hiashi needed to do this quickly, but he was at a loss for how.

"I don't think that you should assume that either of them is ready for marriage. A kiss is far from a marriage proposal. Wouldn't you agree?" He says reasonably.

"Yes, that much is obvious. My wife is right though. I highly doubt that you would allow Itachi to become a Hyuga. Where would you even put him? You wouldn't dare put him in the Branch House, but your Main House Members would never tolerate him in the Upper House." The Chief of the Leaf's Military Police points out.

That was a good point. He really wouldn't know where to put Itachi. His bloodline was powerful and he was the Heir of the Uchiha Clan. He certainly couldn't be put in the Branch House.

Unfortunately, Fugaku was right. There was no way that his Main House Members would tolerate Itachi being placed with them. He wasn't even a Hyuga. The Main House Members would feel slighted and the Branch Members would be outraged.

"That's true." He reluctantly admits, not sure what else he could say on the matter.

It would end in disaster. Bloodshed. There was no way that Itachi could safely marry into the Hyuga Clan.

That could only mean one thing. Hinata would have to become an Uchiha. He would be losing a daughter and Hanabi would have to become the new Heiress of their Clan.

"In any case, I do believe that we are getting off track. We still have to deal with Danzo before any of this matters." Mikoto reminds them.

Ah so she could be reasonable, after all. Good. Hiashi was beginning to worry that that might not be the case.

"Yes, what are we going to do about this? We might be willing to look the other way, but most of our Clans won't." Fugaku whispers as if he was afraid that merely stating the situation too loud, might jinx all of htem.

The lavender eyed man could certainly relate to that feeling. He kept hoping that this was some kind of nightmare. A nightmare that he would wake up from and then everything would go back to normal.

Hinata would go back to being besotted with that hyperactive blonde. It wasn't as if the Hyuga Patriarch thought that Naruto was a suitable match, but he was more suitable than Itachi. At least his last name wasn't Uchiha!

"For now, we can go along with it. Make Danzo believe that we're all going to back his bid for Hokageship. Then when the opportunity arises, we'll strike." Mikoto says.

"What do you mean by, we'll strike?" Hiashi asks warily.

Unfortunately, the ninja had a bad feeling that he already knew the answer to that question. Still he was going to ask it anyway. There was a small chance that he could be wrong.

"I think that you know, exactly what I mean." The dark haired beauty replies.

"Danzo has already shown that he has no problem blackmailing our families to become Hokage. What do you think that he will do after he's Hokage? Do you truly believe that these outrages will stop?" Fugaku asks.

Hiashi sighs. As much as he wanted to say yes, he knew that he couldn't. The Hyuga man couldn't deny the obvious truth. The outrageous were highly unlikely to stop.

Danzo was a man who valued power above everything else. The man didn't particularly care how he got it. He'd do anything to keep the Leaf save, but that was more to bolster his own reputation than anything else. Truly, the man was capable of almost anything.

"You're right. They won't stop, but what you're talking about is assassination. That's quite the step to take." Hiashi states warily.

"It's not something that we are suggesting lightly. Believe me, Hiashi. We don't want to do this anymore than you do. Mikoto and I understand the risks of going after a powerful man like Danzo better than most. Will you join us? If you can't, will you promise not to say anything? Can you give me your word of honor as a Hyuga, that you won't turn us in?" He asks.

"I give you my word of honor, that I won't turn either of you in and I will help you. You're right. This has gone too far and it ends now." Hiashi states firmly.

They didn't have any other choice. Danzo had forced their hands. No Clan was going to be shoved around by the likes of that power hungry-fossil!


	9. Chapter 9

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and to the Guest Reviewer who was craving Sasuke x Hinata, I just updated **Role Reversal.** So you might want to check that story out, if you haven't already.

 **Chapter Notations:** Hinata's mother is called Emiko in this story because I don't believe that her name was ever directly mentioned. This may or may not be cannon, but I made the Samurai neutral in the Ninja War that occurred in Izuna's Day because I feel that it makes the story flow better. Oh and the Hana mentioned in this chapter is an OC. So hopefully, you will all enjoy reading about the history between the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans.

Chapter 9

Four days later, Hiashi sighs as he glances down at his beloved wife's grave. The Hyuga Patriarch grimaces and then proceeds to lay some flowers on her grave. Lavender roses. She had always been fond of the color.

"I know what you would say, if you were here. You would say not to get in the way of love, but I was always the more practical between the two of us. Besides, I don't know that it is love. It may just be a temporary infatuation." He retorts defensively.

In some ways, he knew talking to her grave was silly. It wasn't as if his wife was ever going to actually talk back. Despite that, he had never been able to fully break the habit.

"Just because they were caught kissing doesn't necessarily mean that it's true love. Sadly, our daughters appear to have been charmed by a pair of pretty faces." He mutters in irritation.

The Hyuga and Uchiha Clans had always been informal rivals in just about everything. That included looks. While the Hyuga Clan was well known for their classical good looks, the Uchihas were well known for their more sensual appeal. It was a bit of a sore subject and one that almost no one spoke about. Actually, he was fairly certain this is what the rivalry was all about in the first place.

"I doubt most of them even know how Clan Relations turned glacial in the first place, but I do. Do you remember when you told me the story of Izuna and Hana?" He asks as he gives the final resting place of his wife, a wistful smile.

 _"I can't believe that they invited the Uchihas here." Hiashi said irritably._

 _The beautiful woman who was currently dancing with him laughed softly. It was as if Emiko thought that his annoyance was quite amusing. As if, she believed him to be a sulking child._

 _"It's my Introduction. All the Clans had to be invited here. You know that, Hiashi. Our relations with the Uchihas may not be the best, but it's nothing worth slighting them over. Slighting them and starting a Clan War." She whispered as she twirled underneath him gracefully._

 _She was the picture of grace and refined beauty. Her features were classically Hyuga with that creamy white skin and those soulful lavender orbs. Her hair was as a blue as a waterfall and framed her face perfectly._

 _The woman in question was wearing a lavender kimono that flattered her curvaceous figure. It was a rare ninja woman who was full-figured. Hiashi assumed that was mostly because they had trained their bodies hard for their rough lifestyle. Their curves became solid muscle for the most part and if they were from a Ninja Family, over the years…it became more common for women from Ninja Families to be less curvaceous in form._

 _"I suppose you're right. I'm not even sure what all the dirty looks are about, if I'm being entirely honest." He stated as he danced with her._

 _That wasn't to say that there were no female ninjas with ample bosoms or round backsides. There were. They were just a minority. Women like Emiko, Tsunade, and Mei were few and far between in the Ninja World._

 _Personally, Hiashi favored women with fuller figures. If he wanted someone with no feminine curves, he might as well take a male lover. No, thank you. He much preferred the soft embrace of women like Emiko._

 _"I know how it started. Most people have forgotten though. It's actually recorded in our family library." She informed him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye._

 _Emiko's name meant Smiling Child and she certainly lived up to it. Rarely, did Hiashi see her without a smile on her face. Perhaps that was part of the attraction. He had always been more serious and her cheerfulness balanced him out._

 _At the moment, she seemed positively delighted. Delighted that she knew something that he did not. His curiosity won out over his damaged pride. He had to know what had caused the rift._

 _"And what caused the tension?" He dared himself to ask._

 _"A long time ago, there was a Hyuga woman. Her name was Hana. It was said that she was the most beautiful girl in the village. I suppose that it must have been true or at least Izuna Uchiha thought so." She began her tale as she spun around underneath him._

 _There was something positively enchanting about the way her lavender kimono would billow around her. No wonder, she favored the color. It went well with her hair and fair skin, but he digressed. He needed to focus on the topic at hand._

 _"Izuna Uchiha?! Madara's brother?!" He demanded in shock._

 _"One of them. There were five sons of the Clan Head back then. Madara and Izuna outlived them. Well at least Izuna did for a time. We all know what happened to Madara." She told him with knowing smile._

 _It was clear the woman was getting some sort of amusement out of slowly feeding him this story bit by bit. Emiko was having fun. Having fun by torturing him with curiosity. He had never known that she had a mildly sadistic side to her personality before._

 _"Of course. Well what happened with Hana and Izuna?" The Hyuga man inquired._

 _"Well Izuna fell in love with her. She must have returned his feelings. The two of them wed in secret. Of course, a Great Ninja War was being waged at the time. So presumably their Honeymoon was brief, but fruitful." She explained._

 _He blinked. Hiashi had a pretty good idea what she meant by fruitful. Still it was best to hear to confirm it._

 _"There was a child?" The lavender eyed man whispered._

 _"Well she was pregnant. Of course, Izuna didn't know that as he went back to the front to fight. He later died. I do not believe he ever found out that she was expecting. That left Hana in a rather difficult position." Emiko whispered back as she swayed with her partner elegantly around the dance floor._

 _A difficult position was putting it mildly. She had been married, but her husband had died. Her husband from another Clan had died, presumably without telling anyone that he had married her in the first place._

 _The odds of anyone believing that she had married Izuna and was pregnant with her child were horribly low. The woman would've had few options. Give the baby up, try to convince the Uchiha Clan that it really was Izuna's baby, try her best not to be disowned by her own Clan for her impulsiveness, or to run away with her child._

 _"What did she do?" He asked quietly._

 _"She told them all the truth. I'm not sure how many believed her. Some did and thus, there was much fighting over her and her child's fate. While there were few who approved of her choices, there was no denying that such a child had the potential to be incredibly powerful. An incredibly powerful child during a time of war is an asset. Both Clans wanted her son." Emiko answered him as they continued to dance as only those in love could, in perfect harmony with each other._

 _Emiko paused. It was clear that as a woman, she found it easy to sympathize with this Hana. This poor woman who had been dealt a lousy hand by fate, so many years ago._

 _"She realized that her son's mere existence was going to cause the Clans to fight. They each had a claim on him and no one really knew if the Byakugan or Sharingan would be dominant. That or perhaps, he would get an entirely new bloodline. Either way, the Uchihas wanted him. Madara had no children at the time. So Izuna's child was their heir by birthright." She continued._

 _Hiashi nodded. Unfortunately, he could see why the Uchihas would feel justifiably slighted. The boy had been their Heir and might have a powerful new bloodline. It was only natural that they would want him._

 _"And then what happened?" He prodded her gently._

 _"Hana took what she could. Money, supplies, and used a Genjutsu to disguise herself. She disguised herself and ran. By the time the Sun rose the next morning and people noticed that the two of them were missing, it was too late. Neither was ever heard from again. No one knows what happened to the mother and child, but memory or ghost of the memory still burns brightly in both of our Clans. The wound never fully healed." The beauty before him explained._

 _Hiashi briefly wondered what became of Hana and her son. Though he suspected, they had likely been killed during the War. A mother traveling alone with her infant son was an easy target in those times._

 _Though there was also the possibility that she had posed as a civilian and made it to the Land of Iron. A Land where the Uchihas and Hyugas wouldn't dare to trod. The Samurai and Ninjas had always despised each other and the Land of Iron wanted nothing to do with the Great Ninja War._

 _"Do you think that Hana and her son lived?" He asked as he twirled her around._

 _"I think so. I like to believe in happy endings and since there is no proof, why not choose the happier option?" Emiko answered him._

 _He supposed that was true. Suddenly, he was seeing the entire conflict with new eyes. If only Izuna had lived, his family would have been forced to recognize the child and Hana. All of this could have been avoided._

 _Unfortunately, there was simply too much bad blood now. The Hyugas apparently blamed the Uchihas for "stealing" two of their members and the Uchihas blamed their Clan for stealing their Heir._

 _"That's a fair point. I hope that they did live." He muttered to her approval._

 _He wasn't sure when, but somehow that had morphed into a cold rivalry. The Uchihas and Hyugas indirectly competed in everything and one thing was certain. They most assuredly did not mix, unless it was absolutely necessary. There would be no more Hyuga-Uchiha offspring!_

"It's quite sad. I believe that history may be repeating itself, but I won't let it." He whispers and with that, he takes his leave.

Hiashi Hyuga couldn't bare to stare at his wife's grave for too long. It reminded him of what he lost. That wouldn't stop him from honoring her memory though.

Meanwhile Itachi was waiting for Hinata at the lake. He couldn't believe that he had agreed to this. It was ridiculous. He was over twenty years old! If he was going to become a proficient swimmer, he would have done it for now.

He should probably tell Hinata that he had changed his mind. Of course, he would do so politely. There was no reason to hurt her feelings. She was only trying to help him.

"Itachi?" He hears a gentle voice call out to him.

"Yes, I'm here. Hinata, look I'm really not sure that this is a good idea." He begins and that's when he sees that the Hyuga Heiress was dressed in a swimsuit and all rational thought promptly ceased.

It was like magic really. Immediately, what seemed like all the blood in his body was quickly rushing south. His mother had once warned him that men had two heads and that they could only think with one at a time. Well now, he knew exactly what the Uchiha Matriarch had meant!

Hinata was wearing a two piece swimming suit. He wouldn't call it a bikini exactly, but it was close enough. She was wearing a lavender bikini like top and a matching skirt. They both had floral designs on them, but that was more of a footnote than anything.

"Itachi, I know you can do it. Besides, the water isn't that deep here." She says with an encouraging smile.

What caught his attention was how much her lovely breasts were displayed. Her toned stomach completely bare and her curves were easily seen. Not to mention the skirt ended a few inches above her knees; so he could fully appreciate her shapely legs. Oh and of course, the bottom of her outfit flattered her backside as well.

It was amazing, really. He was supposed to be a genius, but he doubted he would have remembered his own name at the moment. How pathetic.

"Well, I suppose you're right. It really isn't that deep." He concedes.

At the moment, he would have agreed to just about anything. It wasn't like he could actually focus on anything, but that outfit of hers. The only thing he could think about was how fast could he get that top off her and what she was wearing underneath that skirt. That damn swimming skirt which was surely designed to taunt him.

"Good!" Hinata beams at him and Itachi mentally sighs at the knowledge that he was already wrapped around her well manicured fingers.

He supposed that was probably Hiashi's influence. Hyugas must be presentable at all times. Apparently, this extended even to their fingernails. Itachi was sure that if he checked, Hinata's toenails would be in similarly pristine condition as well.

"Well I hope so." Itachi mutters as he pulls his shirt over his head and slides his pants off to reveal swimming trunks.

The Uchiha couldn't help, but smirk at Hinata's reaction. She was now blushing ruby red. Well it looked like he wasn't the only one who was gawking. Good!

"So we'll just start off easy and wh-en you're more com-fortable, we can go deeper." Hinata tells him.

Well that was really supposed to be his line, Itachi thinks to himself as some rather forbidden images flashed across his mind. After a moment or two, he slaps himself. He really shouldn't be thinking such deviant thoughts about his little Byakugan Princess this early on. It was most unseemly and Hiashi Hyuga would certainly have castrated him by now, if he knew what Itachi had just been thinking about.

"That sounds good." He says as he wades into the water.

Hinata followed after him. Unlike Itachi, it was clear that the Hyuga Heiress was perfectly comfortable in the water. She was just as graceful it as she was on land.

The image of a mermaid spring to his mind. He would have loved to see her in one of those seashell bras. Well more accurately, he would have loved to take it off her. Though he supposed as a practical matter, he wasn't really sure how one made love to a mermaid.

"Mhm. So we'll just stand and let you get comfortable. At least the water is a good temperature. Not too hot or too cold." She says with a smile as she saunters over to him and stands in front of him.

On second thought, keeping her human was just more practical. Though she was quite the lovely Sea Nymph, Mermaid, and Siren all rolled into one. Though the most innocent combination of those three creatures that he had ever heard of.

"I'm very comfortable. Well as long as you don't let me drown." He teases as he wraps her arms around her waist.

He didn't dare go lower or higher. It was too early in their relationship for such a thing. Besides, he wasn't an animal. He could control himself. Well at least he hoped that he could.

"I won't let you drown." Hinata promises him.

Though Hinata doubted that there was much of a chance of that happening The water was only waist level. Well at least it was where they were standing, anyway.

"Good. I'm counting on you." Itachi whispers into her ear and Hinata feels herself shiver.

It really should be illegal to have a voice like that, especially when you had a chest that well sculpted. Ninja Training really could do wonders when it came to refining the male physique, she notes with a shy smile. Honestly, she probably would be quite content just to stare at him all day.

Not that she doubted that anyone would blame her, if she did indulge in her newly discovered whim. Still she had promised Itachi that she was going to teach him how to swim and that was exactly what she was going to do. A Byakugan Princess always keeps her promises!

"Do you want to go a little further?" She asks.

If Hinata had any idea how that innocent question could be misinterpreted, she would have chosen her words more carefully. For some reason though, Itachi's Sharingan was active. Actually, it had been active for awhile.

That was odd. The aspiring medic was positive that it hadn't been on when she first found him. Maybe, she should ask him about it.

"Are you alright? Your Sharingan is on. I thought that only happened when Uchihas got upset." Hinata inquires cautiously.

She knew that normally such a question would be taboo, especially coming from someone like her. A Hyuga. Hyugas really should known better than to ask Uchihas about their bloodline, but this was Itachi. It should be safe.

"It is? Oh. Don't worry about that. I'm perfectly fine." Itachi says as he warps his arms around her tighter and Hinata blushes.

Yes, he was. Very fine, actually. She really needed to stop staring. He was probably going to think that she was pathetic soon. '

In her defense though, it wasn't everyday that one saw a half naked Itachi. How as one supposed to resist such a sight? She doubted that any woman could, really.

"That's good. Um so I guess we should start moving around and get you practicing." She says nervously.

"I suppose that's true. Though I have to admit that I'm quite comfortable right where I am. This was a good idea, Hinata. I'll try to accept your suggestions more readily in the future. They are good ones." Itachi says as he places a kiss to her forehead.

Hinata smiles. It was nice to be praised and held like this. She felt special. It was too bad that her father would never understand this. Maybe, that was okay though. Maybe, he didn't have to.

"Good. I'm glad." She says as she snuggles into him.

He'd probably think that she was wanton, but Hinata couldn't resist. She supposed that it was something of an instinct. It was only natural to want to be close to your boyfriend or whatever Itachi was to her.

"And I'm glad you're glad." Itachi tells her as he glides on hand up and down the small of her back.

He knew that what he was doing was selfish. Sooner or later, Hinata was going to be faced with an impossible choice. Him or her family.

Itachi wanted to believe that he could make her happy. That his love would be enough to make up for the Clan she was going to "lose." Though he was realistic enough to realize that may not be the case.

"Mhm." Hinata replies as she sighs in contentment and rests her head on his shoulder.

His Clan would likely accept her. After all, occasionally it was necessary to marry outside of the Clan to keep the bloodline from becoming too thin. The fact that she was a Hyuga though, that would make it difficult for her.

Well at least at first. He was confident that in time, his family would come to adore her. Just as he did. It was the first few months that would likely be the most difficult for her.

"Hinata, I know that we said that we would take it one day at a time, but do you see a future with me or even the possibility of one?" He asks as he caresses her cheek.

"I don't know. I want to. It's just difficult though. I wish that our families were warmer towards each other." She says with a sigh.

Well maybe he could be warm enough towards her, that it wouldn't be an issue. He'd just distract her with his attention and eventually his family would get to know her. They'd love her to.

There was a chance that he could make her happy. It all depended on whether or not, she would be willing to give all that up. To give up her Clan.

"I understand. None of this is fair to you." Itachi observes.

If there was a way to do the opposite, he would. Itachi could become a Hyuga. He naturally preferred his own Clan to her more aloof one, but Itachi would for her. If they decided that they loved each other, he would have married into her family.

They'd never allow it though. While the Uchihas might be persuadable, the Hyugas certainly weren't. That meant that they were stuck in a rather uncomfortable position.

"I know. That's just the way that it is for now though. Come on. Let's try to get you in the deeper end." She says with a smile as she offers him her hand leads him towards the other side of the lake.

Damn it. Forget the future. He'd be lucky, if he lived to see the next Sunset. He'd never gone this deep before!

"Hinata, I'm really not sure that this is such a good idea." He says as he loses his footing and falls under the water.

"ITACHI!" Hinata cries out as she drives into the water, desperate to pull him out from under it before it was too late!

For a horrifying moment, Hinata sees him falling underneath the water. Deeper and deeper. She swims as fast as she could. It only took a moment to grab him in her hands, but that was perhaps the scariest moment of her life.

The Hyuga Heiress could only thank goodness for her Ninja Training. Her Ninja Training that made her strong enough to drag him to the surface and onto the shore. That's when she proceeds to give him CPR.

"Hin-ata! It's okay!" Itachi tells her as he slowly opens his eyes and coughs up some of the water that he had unwittingly consumed.

The Uchiha wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but he had been awoken to the sound of a beautiful melody. Divine really and then felt lips on his. Lips that he remembered.

He knew only one person with lips that soft. It had to be Hinata. Sure enough, it was her. As soon as Itachi was able to fully comprehend what was going on, he recognized his Byakugan Princess.

"Well that's something that you don't see everyday. I do believe that our Byakugan Princess just saved her Sharingan Dragon." He chuckles.

"Itachi, now really isn't the ti-me to make jokes! I was so sca-red! Are you alright?" Hinata asks him worriedly.

"Yes, I think that I'm fine. Just a little shaken up. You don't need to be frightened. It's alright." He whispers as he pulls her closer to him and holds her tightly.

He wasn't sure how long he would have that privilege. So Itachi intended to take advantage of whatever time they did have together. After all, it wasn't everyday that one was rescued by a Princess.

"Next time, we'll go slower. I shouldn't have had you go into the deep end that soon." She mumbles apologetically.

"It's not your fault and alright. Next time, we'll go slower on the swimming lessons. Though I must say that it was more than worth it to see you in that outfit." He informs her with a smirk.

"Itachi!" Hinata squeaks and blushes a brilliant shade of crimson.

She really was so adorable. How could Hinata be such a seductress and not realize it? It was quite the paradox.

"You can't possibly be angry with me for stating the obvious." Itachi retorts and Hinata merely shakes her head in exasperation.

For just a moment, Itachi decides to allow himself to believe that somehow this would work out. That the Dragon and the Princess wouldn't have to be separated by their families and in that moment, he was truly happy.

He was happy in a way that he knew that he would never fully be able to articulate. While he might not know the words to describe the feeling, Itachi Uchiha did know one thing. It was a feeling worth fighting for.


	10. Chapter 10

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** My friend informed me that a ghost was used in Land of Birds Arc. So apparently, ghosts are cannon. Let me know what you think of the slightly supernatural angle. If people like it, it will be added to. If not, well it will only be one scene in this chapter. Happy reading.

Chapter 10

 _He was visiting again._ Hiashi often did that and it always brought about contradictory feelings inside her heart. Well more specifically, the place where her heart should be. She no longer physically had one.

Emiko Hyuga had been dead for years. That was alright. It was the natural order of things. There was a time to be born, a time to live, and a time to die. Unfortunately, she had gotten stuck somewhere between step two and three.

 _"Yes, I do remember that story."_ She whispers as she watches him place the lavender roses on the grave.

Lavender had always been her favorite color. It brought a wistful smile to her face that he remembered, even after all these years. The body could die, but love never did.

 _"You're thinking of meddling."_ Another spirit says to her.

Of course, her husband couldn't see her or the other spirit. It was just as well though. Hiashi would probably believe that he had gone insane and would attempt to attack them, if he could see the pair of them.

 _"It's hard not to consider it. We've been caught between this realm and the next for years. What harm could it do?"_ She asks the other woman.

 _"Maybe, this is the reason. The reason why we can't move on. The rift between the Clans. If we do this, I might see my Izuna and Bakura again."_ The other woman dares herself to say.

By almost anyone's standards, Hana Uchiha was a beauty. Well she used to be Hana Hyuga before her brief marriage to Izuna. Still Emiko digressed.

Her was such a dark blue that it almost seemed purple and flowed all the way down to her ankles in two long ponytails. She also had two elegant buns on her head. Her eyes were the trademark lavender of the Hyuga Clan and she wore a beautiful matching kimono that came to her knees and then a pair of fishnet purple pants. That combined with her figure and Emiko could certainly understand why once upon a time, she had been considered the most beautiful woman in the Leaf Village.

 _"Yes, you can be reunited with your husband and son and I can finally move on. I'll be able to wait for Hiashi and my daughters where I was meant to do so all along."_ Emiko agrees.

 _"I'm just not certain how we can help them in this case. Our ability to communicate with them is quite limited."_ Hana points out.

 _"I'm certain that we'll think of something. We have to. If we combine our energy, do you think that we could manage a note?"_ The Hyuga woman asks her ancestor.

Hana pauses as she considers her question. Emiko knew that she was asking a great deal. They would likely only get one shot at such a feat and after that, they would fall asleep for awhile.

That's what she called it when she lost consciousness for an extended period of time in this existence. It had happened more than once before, but she had gotten better at preventing it. It was all about not overexerting yourself.

 _"If it's a short note, I think that we can manage it."_ Hana replies cautiously.

Emiko nods her head gratefully and heads into her home with the other ghost. She quickly finds the journal that Hiashi kept underneath his pillow and opens it to the most recent page, before penning the note.

 _ **Itachi & Hinata ~ The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.**_

It was an extremely brief note, but she could already feel herself straining to finish it. She could only hope that Hiashi would be able to understand it. The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars had been the song that she sang to him on their wedding night.

If he could remember her favorite color, Hiashi would surely remember that. Putting the names of her daughter and the Uchiha boy next to each other sent a clear message. It was now just a matter of whether or not, he would listen.

 _"Did you do it? I can't hold on much longer."_ Hana inquires desperately.

 _"I did it. We'll see what comes of it."_ Emiko answers her and that was the last thing that she was aware of before everything went black.

A few hours later, Hinata sighs. She knew that she'd have to go back to her family's home. If she didn't, people would worry about her. It was hard to leave Itachi though.

"We'll see each other tomorrow at lessons." He assures her as he caresses her cheek.

"I know. How long do you think that we can keep this a secret from our families though? They're going to find out." Hinata whispers.

It wasn't often that Itachi Uchiha appeared perplexed by much of anything, but he definitely looked perplexed now. Hinata would have found it quite comical, if the situation wasn't so serious. Unfortunately, it was serious.

"I'm not entirely certain. It's a large village. The odds are great that someone will stumble upon us. Though we _**are**_ ninjas. We're certainly capable of being stealthy." Itachi reasons.

Hinata nods in agreement. She didn't want to have to keep it a secret. If Itachi's last name was anything other than Uchiha or hers was anything other than Hyuga, they wouldn't have to. Sadly, there was too much bad blood between their Clans for that to work.

"Do you think that it's possible we could make them understand? I doubt most of them even knows why our Clans act so coldly towards one another in the first place. I certainly don't." Hinata says.

"My mother and grandmother would likely see reason relatively quickly, if there was as possibility of grandchildren or great grandchildren for them in the future. My father and even Sasuke, are more cautious though. Sasuke knows, but I trust him not to tell anyone." Itachi assures her.

Hinata could only bite her lower lip at that last part. She didn't really know Sasuke that well. They had both attended the Academy together, but they had rarely spoken. He'd never been cruel to her, but the Hyuga Heiress wasn't entirely certain that she wanted to trust him with her biggest secret.

"Are you sure that Sasuke won't tell anyone?" She asks warily.

She didn't think that Sasuke was a bad person. It was just that was an awfully big secret to keep. It would surely eat him alive.

"I'm certain. Sasuke may be foolish, but he's a good man. That and in all honesty, I think he's more worried about dodging Hanabi's affections than the ones that we have for each other at the moment. Your sister is quite…devoted." Itachi observes with a chuckle.

Hinata laughs. It looked like Hanabi's first crush was going strong. Poor Sasuke. She almost pitied him really.

"That's good to know. I should probably go though. I'll see you tomorrow." Hinata whispers as she kisses him.

"Of course, you will. Though you should probably change before heading back to the Hyuga Estate. I would imagine that your Clan would be curious about your state of undress." The elder Uchiha Brother points out, after returning her kiss.

Hinata blushes. It wasn't that revealing! Was it? It covered a bit more than most bikinis!

"I guess I should at least throw on my training clothes." She concedes.

"Yes, I think that would be a very wise course of action. If we're going to do this, it would be prudent not to draw too much attention to ourselves." Itachi reasons.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry about all this." She says as she pulls a shirt over her head and a Jonin Vest quickly follows suit.

Hinata meant that. She shouldn't have to hide her relationship with Itachi. He was a good man and well respected by the village. The Uchihas might be somewhat isolated from most of the Leaf, but Itachi was Itachi. It was almost impossible not to look up to him.

It was the strangest thing, really. Their Clans reputations were so different. The Uchihas were equal parts admired and feared. They really were like fire. Conversely, her Clan was more like ice. Powerful and biting cold.

"It's not your fault that I'm simply following in my ancestor's footsteps." The raven haired man assures her.

"What do you mean by that?" Hinata asks as she slides her pants on.

"My ancestor Izuna Uchiha fell in love with a woman named Hana Hyuga. They married in secret. He was killed in the war before he knew that she was pregnant." The smoky eyed ninja begins.

Hinata frowns. She'd never heard that story. One would think that the fat that Izuna had a child with a Hyuga woman would be common knowledge. Hinata had never heard of their bloodlines mixing before.

"Why doesn't anyone know about this?" The bluenette asks as she checks to make sure that her hair was dry.

"I think it's because of the shame both Clans over the incident. That's probably why barely anyone has heard of Izuna and Hana's Union. Madara didn't have any children at the time, so Izuna's child would have been the Uchiha Heir." Itachi tells her as he walks over to his beloved.

Her hair was still damp. Too damp, really. Her family would notice that and someone might ask questions. He certainly couldn't allow that.

"It happened such a long time ago though." Hinata whispers.

"Some wounds run very deep and time doesn't entirely heal them. It only scabs them over. Bringing up such things, is seen as picking at the scab and that's a never good idea. As someone who is training to become a medic, I'm certain you're aware of this. Here, let me dry your hair." Itachi offers with a kind smile.

"Maybe. This should have been resolved before now though. The wound has been allowed to fester and become infected. Oh and thank you." Hinata says with a smile as she feels Itachi heating up his hands.

It was a very mild version of a Fire Jutsu. Itachi was summoning the heat, but not the flames. Now, that was one damn useful Jutsu for drying your hair.

"I suppose that's true and you're welcome. Now where was I? Both Clans wanted the boy and the mother ran away with him. That's how all this started. The different Clans simply stopped discussing the matter and the two of them faded into history. Hana and her son. No one knows what became of them." Itachi explains.

Hinata frowns. That story was so sad and it appeared the Clans hadn't learned anything from it. They were still keeping people apart.

"Strange. I don't know how they managed to stay hidden. Surely, the boy must have been able to use the Sharingan or Byakugan. Perhaps both or even a new bloodline would have developed. No one noticed at all?" She asks softly.

"I don't believe so. It's possible that neither of them lived long enough for it to become an issue though. I'm sorry. That was awful of me to say. It's just that back then, a Great Ninja War was going on. The odds were not good for a woman traveling alone with a small child." Itachi says with a wistful sigh as he kisses Hinata's cheek.

Hinata nods in understanding. She wasn't completely naïve. She had read about the Great Ninja Wars. Everything had been absolute chaos back then. So much senseless bloodshed.

"That might be it. We won't let that happen to us though." She says.

"Of course. Don't worry about it. For now, you should get back to them and I should get back to my own family." Itachi tells her as he kisses her forehead.

"Alright." Hinata says and finally, she manages with great reluctance to pull herself away from Itachi and head off.

Elsewhere Hiashi sneezes as Tsuki saunters her way into the Uchiha Kitchen. He was meeting with Mikoto and Fugaku again. They needed to find a way to deal with Danzo. Apparently, that meant the little feline was doing some intelligence gathering for them.

"Well he's making the rounds all across the village. Danzo is talking to a lot of people. Judging by the expressions on their faces, I think that blackmail is a common denominator for most of the "support" that he's getting." Tsuki says.

The Hyuga Patriarch was inclined to agree with the Ninja Cat on that particular matter. He doubted that most people were backing Danzo because he was just such a charming and friendly fellow. He wasn't winning people over with his charisma like Minato had.

"That does sound like him." Fugaku says with a sigh.

"This is serious. He could really become Hokage. How much support does he have?" Mikoto asks her animal companion.

This was very important information. Hiashi could only hope that Tsuki had gotten an accurate number. They needed to know how swiftly they had to act.

If Danzo became Hokage and died suddenly afterwards, everyone would know it was an assassination attempt. Such an outcome would be positively disastrous. That meant that the three of them would have to act quickly, if it looked like the elderly ninja might have the necessary support.

"I think he's about halfway there. His age is working against him. The man is already in his seventies. Sarutobi is old and most people aren't protesting his leadership, but he didn't start the job with one foot in the coffin." The feline reasons.

That was true. There were few calls for Sarutobi to step down, despite his age. Though that didn't necessarily mean that people would want an elderly man to replace another elderly man.

"We might have to act sooner than expected. Let's discuss our options." Fugaku suggests.

Hiashi nods in agreement. For the better part of an hour they brainstormed. Sadly, it hadn't been a particularly fruitful session.

"Well we've thought of some ideas. We'll have to think on it some more. This plan must go off without a hitch." Mikoto says.

"Of course, Lady Mikoto. Well once again, I must thank the both of you for your warm hospitality. I'm afraid that I must be going. My family will be wondering where I am by now and I do not wish to worry them." The lavender eyed man replies.

"Of course. I do wish that we were able to resolve this dilemma today. We will though. Danzo's treachery will not go unpunished." Fugaku promises him.

Hiashi nods and heads off. He believed the Uchiha Patriarch when he said that. The man had just as much of an interest as taking out Danzo as he did. After all, they had both been blackmailed and no Clan Head responded well to blackmail.

It didn't take long for him to get back the Hyuga Estate and to his room. The Hyuga Patriarch sighs as he sits down on his bed and pulls out his journal. Years ago, he had started keeping it.

"If one doesn't find a way to vent their frustrations, one will go mad." He mutters to himself as he opens it to the most recent page.

That's when he stops and stares. Instead of his own writing or a blank page, Hiashi saw something entirely different. Someone else's handwriting. Handwriting that he recognized.

 _ **Itachi & Hinata ~ The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.**_

That was impossible though! His wife had been dead for years and yet, he was staring at her handwriting. The words written upon the page were written in fairly fresh ink that looked as though they had been put upon the page on that very day.

"It can't be." He whispers to himself as he stares at the page in shock.

At that same time, Itachi heads back to the Uchiha District. It was getting harder and harder to leave Hinata. As inconvenient as it might be, there was no getting around the truth now.

The Sharingan Dragon was most assuredly falling for the Byakugan Princess and he didn't know what to do about it. If this match was to have any happy ending at all, it would eventually mean that Hinata would have to leave her family behind. They would disown her.

"And the thought of hurting her in such a fashion is unbearable. Though so is living without her." He mutters to himself.

Loving her was quite possibly the most selfish thing that he had ever done. If anyone else had been in this situation, Itachi would have told them to do the right thing and let the woman go. Hinata belonged with her family. What right did he have to take her away from them?

"I presume that you are talking about Hinata. Itachi, my son, I do believe that it is time that we had a talk." The young Uchiha hears an all too familiar voice call out to him.

His father. His father knew! Fugaku had seen him dance with Hinata at her Introduction and he must have put the pieces together!

Itachi mentally curses himself for getting caught. He really shouldn't have left Hinata. That might very well be the last time that they were ever allowed to be alone together.

"Father…" He whispers, not sure what to say to the other man.

"Itachi, come with me. It's alright. I'm not angry. Though I have to admit, your choice hasn't made things easy on me or your mother. If you had chosen anyone else, things wouldn't have been as complicated." The Uchiha Patriarch says with a wary sigh.

Itachi cautiously follows his father into the his study. With each step he took, the feeling of dread only grew in his stomach. There was no scenario in which he could envision this ending well.

"Do not look as though you are a man who is awaiting his execution." Fugaku orders him.

He was a man awaiting his execution though. There was no way possible way that his father would approve this match. Assuming that he could convince Fugaku though, Hiashi would certainly never approve it. Hell would freeze over before such a thing happened.

"Am I not though? You can't be pleased by my affections for Hinata." He says cautiously.

"I'm not. Honestly, Itachi. Any other girl would have been simpler, but you had to go and fall for the Hyuga Heiress. You were spotted kissing her. Danzo has pictures of the incident and is attempting to blackmail your mother, myself, and Hiashi into supporting his bid for Hokageship with them." The other Uchiha explains.

Itachi blinks. This couldn't be happening. Danzo knew?! Danzo knew and he was blackmailing their families?!

"I detest killing, but there is really only one solution to this problem. We can't allow such a man to ever lead the Leaf Village." Itachi whispers.

"Yes, we all quite agree on that. We have had Tsuki trail him. She simply took off her Ninja Cat Uniform and followed him around. Danzo is not the type of man who would pay much attention to a "stray cat" following him." The elder Uchiah continues.

That was true. Itachi couldn't really see someone like Danzo being particularly fussed about such a thing. He probably wasn't even human enough to try to pet or feed a stray animal. It was quite pathetic, really.

"And what did she find out?" The furious ninja demands.

"Danzo is doing his best to gather support for his bid, but his age is hurting him. Right now, she estimates that he has about half the support that would be necessary for him to get the position." Fugaku informs him.

Half. Half could be dangerous. Knowing Danzo, he probably had dirt on every single ninja in this village. If nothing else, he might be able to threaten his way to the top.

"That man's ambition knows no bounds." The future medic hisses in agitation.

"That's most certainly true. Sadly, we have to deal with the facts and the facts is that he has some very damning information on you and Hinata. Hiashi is taking it better than I could have ever expected, but he rest of his Clan wouldn't and I'm really not sure how our family would react to this news either." His father explains.

That was true. There would probably be riots. This could easily trigger a Clan War. Itachi had no idea how something so pure and beautiful as his feelings for Hinata could lead to this much chaos.

Well pure was probably stretching it. He could still remember what she looked like in that swimsuit, but Itachi digressed. It was the principle of the thing. Love shouldn't lead to such hatred!

"What are we going to do about this situation?" Itachi demands.

He was so enraged by Danzo's actions, that the Uchiha didn't even realize it when his mother walked into the room. In hindsight, he really should have paid more attention to his surroundings. A ninja who didn't pay attention to their surroundings was normally a dead ninja.

"We're going to do exactly as you said. We're going to find a way to kill him. We simply can't tolerate someone treating our family in such a fashion and neither can the Hyugas. If Danzo is willing to do this to us before he even becomes Hokage, who knows what he'll be capable of once he's finally in power." Mikoto whispers.

"Mother!" Itachi says, almost jumping from shock as the woman managed to sneak up on him.

"I'm sorry, Itachi. I didn't mean to startle you." She apologizes.

It wasn't her fault. He really should have been paying more attention. Still this was a good thing. His mother and father were on the same page as him. Now, they just needed to come up with a plan.

"It's alright. Does Sasuke know about this? What about Shisui?" The future medic asks.

"Sasuke and Shisui do not know yet. Currently, the only people who know are yourself, myself, your mother, and Lord Hiashi. The fewer people that are involved in the plotting, the greater our chances of success are." Fugaku reasons.

Itachi nods. That was as fair point. Things tended to go wrong in assassinations when you added more people.

"Alright. So how are we going to do it? How are we going to rid the world of that vile viper?" The youngest Uchiha in the room asks.

"Itachi, that was quite cruel. You shouldn't call him a viper." Mikoto says.

"He is blackmailing our families. What do you think that I should call him, mother? Personally, I believe it to be a rather accurate description." Itachi protests.

He probably should have seen the next part coming. His mother had always had a rather wicked sense of humor. Most likely, that was one of the things that had most attracted his father to her.

"It's rather cruel to vipers. They didn't do anything to warrant such an unfair comparison." The dark beauty chides him.

"You're absolutely right. He's more of a cockroach than a viper." Itachi agrees.


	11. Chapter 11

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

A few days later, Hinata knew that she was in trouble. She just knew it. The way that Hanabi was walking towards her with that confused expression on her face spoke volumes.

"Hinata, father says that he wishes to speak with you in his study." The Hyuga Girl informs her.

"Thank you, Hanabi." Hinata whispers as she quickly makes her way to the sturdy.

Hiashi Hyuga was not a man who summoned people to his study often. When he did, it was usually or a reason and it usually wasn't a good one. His study was considered off limits to the rest of their Clan for the most part.

No one would even consider using their Byakugan on Lord Hiashi's study. Well not if you wanted to live to see your next birthday, anyway. Whatever her father wished to discuss, he wanted to discuss it in absolutely privacy.

"Father?" The Hyuga Heiress calls out gently as she knocks on the door.

"Come in, Hinata." Her father's voice replies almost immediately.

She should have expected that. Hanabi had told her that Hiashi was expecting her. It was only natural that he would respond quickly. With that thought in mind, Hinata opens the door and walks inside.

"You look just like your mother. Have I ever told you that?" The lavender eyed man asks gently as he glances at her.

The way that he was looking at her was so strange. It was almost as if he had seen a ghost. Though Hinata supposed in a way, he wasn't that far off. She had seen pictures of her mother and knew that her father spoke the truth.

"You've mentioned it before, but I'm always glad to hear that. I wish that she was not taken from us so soon. Hanabi never really got the chance to know her." Hinata whispers.

She always whispered when she spoke of her mother. There was no other way to speak of the beautiful and kind woman who had died far before her time. It was the only way to speak of Emiko without crying over the loss of the Hyuga Matriarch.

"I wish the same. I suppose that I should speak frankly. I am aware of your affections towards Itachi Uchiha." Hiashi states.

Hinata's eyes widen in horror. Her father knew! He knew that she was in love with Itachi! They were going to end up like Izuna and Hana!

"Father, p-lease. You have to understand that love doesn't care about what a person's last name is." The young woman stammers out quickly.

"Yes, that's true. Hinata, you don't need to look at me as though you are a frightened rabbit and I'm not a hawk. While I can't say that I approve of your choice, you're my daughter and I love you. That and unintentionally, I have dishonored your mother's memory." He says with a heavy sigh.

Hinata tilts her head to the side in confusion. She didn't understand what her father meant by that. How had he dishonored Emiko Hyuga's memory. Her father would never do such a thing!

"You're not angry?" She asks cautiously, not certain that she should believe her stroke of good fortune.

"I'm not angry. I'm frustrated. It's most inconvenient, but you're correct. Love doesn't particularly care what a person's last name is. So you believe that you love him then? This isn't just a casual attraction?" The lavender eyed man inquires.

Hiashi was actually listening to her about Itachi? She could scarcely believe her ears. Perhaps, she was still asleep and dreaming.

"It's not just a casual attraction. I love him father." Hinata says, rather relieved when she didn't stutter.

If she stuttered now, her father would believe that she was unsure of herself. That was the last thing that she needed at such a critical moment. No. She needed to sound confident in this. It was really the only way that she was ever going to convince him.

"He is your Sun, your Moon, and your Stars then?" Hiashi asks.

Hinata could see that her father wasn't particularly happy about this turn of events. She hadn't meant to fall in love with Itachi and cause chaos between the Clans. It had just happened.

"Yes. I know that you can understand. If you really try, you can understand. I feel for him what you still feel for mother." The bluenette replies desperately.

She had to make him understand. It was the only way to avoid a Clan War. She didn't want Itachi to suffer for loving her. She didn't want the Clans to suffer because they loved each other.

"Yes, I'm beginning to understand that. Well in light of that, I do believe you have a right know what is going on. It seems that Danzo stumbled across you and Itachi while you were in each other's arms. He has pictures and has tried to blackmail myself and Itachi's parents. He's threatening to reveal the pictures and possibly trigger a Clan War, if we do not support his bid for Hokage." Hiashi tells her and Hinata gasps.

This was horrible! Her family was being blackmailed because of her! What kind of Heiress was she?! She was putting her Clan in danger!

"You don't have to support him! You can't support someone like that!" She protests.

"We're not going to support him. Well at least not in reality. For now, we're content to let him believe that we're going to back him. In reality, his demise is imminent. We just haven't decided on the details yet." Her father explains.

Hinata blinks. His demise?! _**His demise?!**_ They were planning to kill Danzo?! An assassination! That's what they were planning!

"Is Itachi aware that you intend to kill a man for us? Does he know that Danzo is blackmailing our families?" Hinata demands.

"He's aware of it all. I told him that I was going to tell you. I felt that it was only proper considering that I am your father and that you would react better to the news, if you heard it from me. While I certainly wish that you had chosen someone else, it's not my intention to drive a wedge between the two of you." The lavender eyed man replies.

"Thank you, father. I appreciate that. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're being so understanding about all this. I thought that you would be furious because I love him, but I'm glad that I was wrong. So glad." She whispers.

It was really nothing short of a miracle. Her father obviously didn't approve of the match, but he wasn't going to try to sabotage it. That was a start!

"When one finds their Sun, Moon, and Stars…one should treasure that. Your mother taught me that. She would want you to be happy and if being with him makes you happy, I'll…have to tolerate it." He says with a resigned sigh as Hinata kisses his cheek in gratitude.

Meanwhile Danzo was visiting with another Leaf Villager. Kakashi. While Kakashi had never really sought out political power, he was a formidable ninja and highly respected.

This was quite a feat considering everyone knew of his love for erotic literature and the other man was almost always late to everything. Danzo digressed though. Kakashi's support was critical and he was going to get it.

"Thank you, for agreeing to meet with me. I know that you are a busy man." Danzo says with a polite smile.

Kakashi glances at him with that damn cheerful smile. The one that he wore for everyone. It was just another mask and Danzo knew that, but he'd go along with the game for now.

"Well I'm not really that busy. My team is all grown up now and they haven't assigned me a new one. I've just been doing the odd mission here and there honestly." Kakashi says as he flips a page in his book.

"Ah yes. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto all made Jonin, I believe. You must be very proud." The elderly ninja says.

Kakashi nods in response and Pakkun growls slightly. That didn't escape Danzo's notice, but unfortunately there wasn't much that he could do about the situation. If he commented on it, the Ninja Dog would likely just make things worse.

"I'm very proud. More than you'll ever know. Did you ever have a squad?" Kakashi asks casually as he turns another page in his book.

Danzo wasn't entirely certain if Kakashi was a speed reader or if he was just taunting him. Either way, he didn't particularly care. At the moment, he just needed the CopyCat Ninja's vote. He didn't need his friendship.

"Oh well I'm more interested in discussing the future than the past today, if I am to be completely honest." He replies.

"I'm certain that you are. Are you running for Hokage again?" The Masked Ninja inquires.

It was spoken as a question, but they both knew that it wasn't. Danzo had tried to become Hokage before and he had failed. More than once. It was humiliating, really.

"Yes, I am. I would like to have your support. I think that we both know that I have the experience to lead this village." He answers honestly.

"Yes, you most certainly have the experience. Perhaps, a bit too much. Your age is going to work against you. I know that you are healthy as a horse, but it's going to be a factor. Fair or unfair. You know that. Maybe, it's time for you to pursue other goals." The silver haired man suggests.

Danzo feels himself twitch. Kakashi was not being subtle in his implications and he most assuredly did not care for it. He would just have to be firm here.

"I think not. I've dedicated my life to this village and the Third Hokage is also elderly. If people do not protest his rule, why should they protest mine?" He reasons.

"Sarutobi was not elderly when he initially became Hokage. There is a difference." The other ninja replies.

That's when Kakashi notices that Pakkun was on edge. Curious to see what had upset his canine friend so much, he looks around and discovers the source of the Ninja Dog's unease. A Ninja Cat.

Ninja Cats and Ninja Dogs were professionals, but old habits died hard. They were no more fond of each other than their domestic counterparts were. It was a shame. The two animals likely could have accomplished great things on missions together, but oh well.

"Obviously, I would have a successor picked. I'm not foolish. I recognize my age." Danzo says through gritted teeth.

"I never said that you were foolish. I've only expressed my concerns that your age would be held against you. I will give this matter the due consideration it deserves. No one can deny your experience or your skill in battle." Kakashi says.

Honestly, he would have firmly told Danzo no. Well he would have done so, if it wasn't for Pakkun. That was most assuredly a Ninja Cat that had drawn his ire.

The Ninja Cat wasn't wearing its uniform, but Kakashi recognized it. That was Tsuki. Mikoto's cat. That meant that the Uchihas were spying on Danzo for some reason and he was going to find out what was going on before he made any rash decisions.

"Very good. I'll speak with you soon then. Do take your time. After all, it's important that the Leaf have a competent Hokage. These types of decisions aren't to be made lightly." He says.

"I agree completely." The silver haired man confirms as Danzo takes his leave.

Once he was out of sight, Kakashi quickly grabs Tsuki by the scruff of her neck and stares at her. He knew that was fighting dirty. Cats wouldn't really move once you had them by the scruff of their neck, but he was a ninja. Not a saint.

"Tsuki, it's always a pleasure to see you. Now, would you mind telling me exactly what is going on?" He asks cheerfully and Tsuki gulps.

"If she won't talk, I'll make her talk." Pakkun says helpfully.

Kakashi rolls his eyes in response. Yes, the rivalry between cats and dogs was still as strong as ever. Though he wasn't going to allow his canine to have a go at the poor feline.

Mikoto Uchiha would kill HIM, if someone touched her precious little furball. Oh well. For now, he had to find a way to make Tsuki talk without actually hurting her.

"Tsuki, please make this easy on yourself and tell me why you are following Danzo. There might be some milk and catnip in it for you, if you're a good girl." He tells her soothingly.

"I can't betray my family. I'm only gonna tell you that Danzo is up to no good." She grumbles.

"He's always up to no good. That's why he's Danzo." Pakkun points out and Kakashi sighs in agreement.

Well he had learned two very important things today. The first was that cats were far more loyal than they might appear to be at first and the second was Danzo was still a snake. Now, he just had to decide what he was going to do with that information.

A few hours later, Itachi had just finished up another medical lesson. This time, it was how to make a splint. So far the lessons had all been on the basic side, but that was only to be expected. After all, they were still new to this.

"Itachi, do you have a f-few minutes to speak with me?" Hinata asks anxiously.

"Always. Is everything alright?" The Uchiha ask, after making sure that hey were the only ones in the locker room.

"I don't know. My father knows about us. Your parents know about us. Danzo is trying to blackmail them into supporting him for Hokage because he has a picture of the two of us together." The bluenette whispers fearfully.

Itachi winces. He knew that Hiashi was planning on telling his eldest daughter about everything. The Uchiha just hadn't expected him to do so this quickly and that made him feel rather unprepared.

"Yes, I know. Don't worry about it. We'll find a way to fix this. For now, our parents are pretending to go along with his plan." Itachi tells her.

Itachi wasn't used to that feeling and he didn't find it to be a pleasant one. Though he supposed that no one did. For now though, he knew that he had to put his own unease aside and comfort Hinata.

"By fix this, you mean kill him." The bluenette says softly and Itachi winces.

His Byakugan Princess might be shy, but Hinata was far from stupid or naïve. She knew exactly what they were planning and obviously, she didn't necessarily approve. Not that he had expected any other reaction, really.

Hinata was kind. Unfailingly so. That was both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness.

"Yes, that's what we mean. You don't need to have any part in his death though. I wouldn't ask you to get your hands dirty in such a fashion. I know that you likely don't approve of our choice, but it is the right thing to do. If he is willing to blackmail two of the largest Clans before he's Hokage, imagine what he'll do once he gets his hands on power." Itachi pleads with her to see reason.

There was really no telling what Danzo might be capable of, if he became Hokage. That's why Itach knew what had to be done. He could only hope that his lavender eyed goddess would agree with him.

"I know that he's not a good person, but is killing him really necessary? It's one thing to do it in the heat of battle or in self-defense, but this is something else. This is murder, Itachi." She whispers to him.

She was likely on the brink of tears. He could see the water glimmer in her eyes. Hinata might actually care for that viper. That or out of guilt. Though he suspected it was a combination of those two things.

"Hinata, I love your forgiving nature. I really do, but he's not going to stop this behavior. There is no reasoning with a man like Danzo. He only has one goal and that's power. He doesn't care what he has to do or who he has to hurt in order to get it." Itachi explains to her as he caresses the young woman's cheek.

Hinata sighs and nods as she kisses Itachi's hand. He almost wished that Hiashi didn't tell her. He didn't want Hinata to have to live with Danzo's blood on her conscience, but she deserved to know.

"It's self-defense in a way." She mumbles.

"Exactly. Our parents know about our relationship now. So things will be easier. Though we will have to keep it a secret until we resolve the Danzo situation. If he sees that our relationship is a public one, he'll know that he has nothing on our families. A wounded animal is the most dangerous kind of animal. Remember that, Hinata." Itachi tells her.

"I know. It just hurts to realize that one of our own would use such treachery to become Hokage. The Hokage is supposed to be someone who protects the village. Not someone who manipulates its ninjas." The Hyuga Heiress mutters.

Itachi nods. It was distasteful to put it mildly and he didn't care to see her that upset about something outside her control. Perhaps, a change in topics was in order.

"I know. Let's not talk about him anymore. At least not for awhile. Dwelling on one's misfortunes for an excessive amount of time does no good. We should enjoy the light where we can find it." He tells her as he kisses her forehead.

"You're right. Danzo is definitely part of the Darkness of the world. Speaking of light though, does that mean you want to go for another swimming lesson?" Hinata asks with quiet laugh.

Itachi rubs the back of his head sheepishly as two instincts warred with each other. The instinct not to go anywhere near the water that he had nearly drowned in and the instinct to see Hinata in that little two piece number she had worn before. Decisions, decisions.

"That might be alright as long as we stay in the shallow end this time. I'm afraid that almost drowning does have a way of ruining the romantic mood." Itachi observes with a chuckle.

"I promise, I won't let you drown. We won't go as deep as we did last time." Hinata says as she smiles and takes his hand.

The two of them soon Flicker off to the lake once more. Itachi was going to ask Hinata about her swimsuit when he saw that the young woman begin to strip down to her lingerie.

This woman was going to be the death of him. She was either going to have him drown or die from bloodless. It was really that simple, he thinks to himself as he feels blood begin to trickle down from his nose.

"Itachi, are you alright? Your nose is bleeding." Hinata says in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just didn't expect you to partially disrobe so openly." He retorts as he slides out of his shirt and pants.

His boxers would once again have to make do. Though in hindsight, he probably should have expected that the Hyuga Heiress would do something like that. After all, was her lingerie really that different than her swimsuit?

"Oh well I figured it's alright. I mean you are a medic. Kinda." She says with a shy smile.

The death of him. Yes, she was most assuredly going to be the death of him. Hinata didn't even know what kind of effect she had on him! This was pure insanity, but a beautiful one!

"Mhm. Though I must admit that my thoughts tend to be less than professional around you." He states as he follows her into the water.

He wasn't going anywhere that the water was deeper than his waist. No. This time, he wasn't going to nearly drown. He'd be more careful.

"What kind of unprofessional thoughts do you have about me?" Hinata asks him with a rosy pink blush on her face.

Honestly, it really should be illegal to look that adorable. He was only human. Itachi only had so much self-control.

"The kind that would surely enrage your father. Not that I could blame him. If I had a daughter like you, I'd be just as protective." He says as he kisses her.

Hinata smiles and kisses back. It was a beautiful day and she was kissing the man that she loved in a lake. That and their families seemed to be for the moment willing to work together. Maybe things would work out, after all.

"That sounds interesting. Speaking of my father, my mother used to sing to him sometimes." Hinata says as she leans into him and Itachi wraps his arms around her protectively.

"That's nice. I'm glad that they shared a love of music together. Such things are important. Things that couples share only with one another." He murmurs.

Hinata nods. She thought it was really romantic. Hopefully, Itachi would feel the same way that she did.

"Yes. My mother used to sing this song for my father. It was called the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. I'd like to sing it for you." The bluenette says shyly.

"I'd like to hear it." Itachi assures her as he holds her with one arm and runs his fingers through her long silken locks of hair.

He loved the way that each strand slide gracefully between his fingers. It was very Hinata. Beautiful and easygoing. That was his Byakugan Princess.

Itachi couldn't help, but feel a stab of pity for Hiashi Hyuga though. It did sound as though he had deeply loved his wife. It couldn't have been easy for the man to lose her.

"Alright." Hinata says as she begins singing a hauntingly beautiful song.

It was a song filled with love, longing, and reverence. The words may not have been explicitly erotic, but the feeling was there. The feeling of wanting to be with your most precious person.

Itachi could certainly see the appeal in the song. If Emiko Hyuga had been anything like her daughter though, he was surprised that the woman had the courage to sing such a song to anyone. Then again, love could make people unexpectedly brave. That was after all, the reason why he was standing here in the first place.

"It's beautiful, Hinata. Just like you and in that way, it certainly suits you." Itachi murmurs appreciatively.

He couldn't swim, but he was standing in the lake. Only love, could so easily conquer someone's fears. That was another hidden meaning to the song, he supposed.

There was something very sweet about it. It was the melody. That had to be it.

"Though I really should escort you home. We don't want your father to worry about you. If he's starting to warm up to me, I don't want to give the man just cause to start despising me once again." Itachi says with a chuckle.

"That's very kind of you to say, but I don't think that my father ever hated you. He was just wary because you're an Uchiha. I really think that's going to change though." She says determinedly.

"I hope so. For now though, this Sharingan Dragon is going to escort his Byakugan Princess home." He says with a smile as the two of them Flicker off together.


	12. Chapter 12

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

Six months had passed since Itachi told Hinata about Danzo. It was a decision that he wasn't sure, if he regretted or not. He wanted to be honest with his beloved, but the Sharingan Dragon didn't want his Princess to worry.

Ever since he told her about the elderly ninja's schemes, Hinata had definitely been worrying. The two of them grew closer with every passing day and while they hadn't told the rest of the village about their romance yet, Itachi knew that it was just a matter of time. Sooner or later, they were going to find out.

"I have no idea how you managed it. How did you get mother and father to agree to this? How did you convince them to let you court Hinata?" Sasuke asks as he walks with Itachi to the flower shop.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Itachi answers.

"He's just that good. It's Itachi. What more needs to be said?" Shisui replies smugly as if that explained everything.

Itachi snorts in amusement. He really wished things were that simple. Unfortunately, they were not. It was going to be a long, hard road to achieve universal acceptance for his relationship with Hinata. In the end, he was confident that it would be more than worth it though.

"Sadly, mother and father are still somewhat skeptical of the idea and I know that Hiashi is displeased about it. Hinata said that he is merely tolerating our involvement because he doesn't wish to dishonor her mother's memory. I'm still not exactly sure what he meant by that, but I can only assume that it's best not to argue with it." The elder Uchiha Brother says with a shrug.

He smiles when his cousin and brother give sympathetic nods in response. It was better just to go with the flow, when a man like Hiashi decided to be "nice." So that's exactly what he was going to do.

"Are you really going to do it tonight? You two haven't been together that long." Shisui asks.

"Yes, I'm going to do it tonight. Things have been going wonderfully for the past six months. I love her. Though our relationship will surely blossom even more, once the truth comes out and we no longer have to hide our feelings for each other." Itachi reasons as he looks at the beautiful flowers on display at the shop.

For six months, he had been courting Hinata in secret. The past few months had been blissful and Itachi was eager to take their relationship to the next level. He wanted to formalize it.

Unfortunately, there was still Danzo to consider. Surprisingly, the old man seemed to be biding his time. He was slowly, but surely gathering the necessary "support" he needed to become Hokage.

"I'm happy for you. She'll make a good sister-in-law. Has she overcome her fainting habit though? That's probably going to be an issue, if she hasn't." Sasuke asks in concern.

Danzo would strike soon. Itachi was sure of it. There really was no more time to waste. That was why he was going to propose tonight while his family took care of Danzo.

"She's gotten much better at not fainting." Itachi says absentmindedly.

"Well that's good and roses are a traditional choice." Shisui suggests.

Itachi nods in agreement. Yes, roses would be a good choice for a proposal. Now he just had to decide on the color.

"I'd go with lavender. White is too innocent. Yellow is for friendship. Red that's coming on pretty strong for a girl like Hinata. Pink is more flirtatious than anything else. Orange is just weird." Sasuke says.

"Why, I had no idea that you were such a floral expert, Sasuke. Really, I'm quite impressed. Tell me, how is it that you know so much about flower symbolism?" Itachi asks with a chuckle.

"One of my stalker's family owns this place. She was quite detailed in her love letters about what each flower meant. I was bored." Sasuke says as he rolls his eyes.

Ah right. Sasuke definitely suffered form the Uchiha Curse. While most of the village was at best rather wary of them, the fact that they were so isolated did spawn many a romantic fantasy.

"Well in that case, I'll take the lavender. I already got the ring and the everything else set up." Itachi says with a smile.

"So what excuse did you give to the Third to make sure you and Hinata didn't have any missions for the next couple days?" His cousin asks.

"I told him that we were requesting permission to go to the next village and study under their best medic. He bought it." Itachi replies with a shrug.

He knew that it was technically lying, but the elder Uchiha Brother wasn't too concerned about that. A ninja must see through deception. Quite frankly, if Sarutobi didn't see through the white lie…it was his own fault.

"That's brilliant!" Shisui says approvingly and Itachi nods in agreement as he purchases the lavender roses.

"Good luck, big brother. I doubt she's going to say no, but it's the principle of the thing." Sasuke says.

"Mhm and that's exactly what I'm going to tell you in a few years, when you propose to Hanabi. I'll see you later, foolish little brother." Itachi says as he pokes Sasuke's forehead and Flickers off.

A short while later, Hinata smiles as she sees Itachi arrive on the outskirts of the Hyuga Estate. He was always careful never to be seen. Which was quite the impressive feat, considering that her family members could see through walls.

"Itachi." She greets him with a smile.

"Hinata, come with me. I have a surprise for you." He says, returning her smile with one of his own.

A surprise? That was new. Usually, Itachi told her what he had planned well in advance. Hinata figured that was likely because he assumed Hiashi was not so secretly spying on them to ensure that nothing improper was going on, but she digressed.

"Alright." The Hyuga woman replies as she heads off with her beloved.

Hianta couldn't believe it, but she was most certainly in love. While they weren't officially lovers yet, that didn't matter too much to her at the moment. The feelings were there and she was sure that they would take the next step when the time was right.

She'd be lying, if she said that she wasn't eager to take the next step though. Of course, Hinata knew that she SHOULD wait. That didn't meant that she wanted to though. Not when Itachi could kiss like that.

"Here we are." Itachi says with a smile as they arrive at the lake.

Hinata tilts her head in confusion. She didn't really understand how going to the lake was a surprise. They had been here before.

"It's beautiful, Itachi. It always is. I'm not sure how that's a surprise though." She says with a smile as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"You'll see, My Love. You'll see." Itachi says with a smile as the song begins to play.

He had hired a few musicians to play the required instruments and sing the sweet melody of the song that Hinata had shown him. It was also nighttime. The stars were bright and the Moon was full. Fireflies danced around the scene.

As far as Itachi was concerned, it was a truly magical moment. Moments like this didn't come around very often, so he decides it was best to take advantage of it. Danzo could be damned.

"It's the song." Hinata murmurs in awe.

"Yes, your mother's and father's song. Now, it can be ours as well. A family tradition of sorts." Itachi tells her as he caresses her cheek.

Hinata smiles as she leans into the gentle touch. Itachi was always so gentle with her. It made her feel cherished in a way that she couldn't fully describe, but it was one that she treasured.

"I think that I like this tradition." She whispers.

"Me too. It's a beautiful night as well. Not as beautiful as you, but still one that should be appreciated." The Uchiha tells her and Hinata blushes.

Hinata hated how easily she still blushed. It was embarrassing. She was a ninja. She shouldn't be blushing, but Itachi always said that he liked her blush. He called it adorable.

That made it bearable. If Itachi liked it, it couldn't be that bad? Right? Well at least that was the logic behind Hinata's reasoning, anyway.

"You're always so kind to me. I don't know what I've done to deserve you." The bluenette says as she traces his lips with her thumb and leans in for a kiss.

Itachi smiles and returns her kiss. Hinata still couldn't believe that the beautiful man standing in front of her, actually loved her. He really, truly loved her.

In that moment, she forgot about everything else. Well everything else besides, Itachi. His very presence consumed her at the moment. She was like a moth to the flame.

"I could say the same to you. I'm not half the angel that you imagine me to be, but I'm glad that you think that I am." Itachi says softly.

Hinata didn't really know what he was talking about. Perhaps, he was simply referring to some of the work that he had done as an ANBU. The Hyuga woman wasn't naïve. She was fully aware of the horrible things that all ninjas had to do, but especially ANBU.

"Maybe, our pasts don't really matter. What's important is that we have each other now and in the future." Hinata replies.

"I'm glad that you feel that way. It's our future that I wanted to speak to you about. I don't want this to end, Hinata. I adore you. More than you'll ever know and I would like the world to know that." He tells her as he caresses her cheek more.

Hinata nods in agreement. She felt the same way. It bothered her that they had to hide. It wasn't fair.

"That's one of the reasons why I got you these. Roses are a symbol of love and the color reminds me of your eyes." Itachi explains as he hands her a bouquet of beautiful lavender roses.

"Itachi, they're beautiful. Thank you." Hinata whispers as she sniffs them happily.

"I remember when Ino and Sakura sent you those flowers, claiming they were from me. I do apologize. I should have given you flowers far sooner than I did." Itachi continues.

They were beautiful, but flowers weren't why Hinata loved him. As far as she was concerned, Itachi had nothing to apologize for. Absolutely nothing.

"You don't have to apologize. They're beautiful, but I didn't fall in love with you because I was hoping to get flowers." Hinata says with a giggle.

"Mmm I'm glad to hear it. Though I would be more than happy to get you all the flowers that you desired, that's not what I wished to speak with you about on this night." Itachi says as he places a small box in Hinata's hands.

' Hinata blinks and opens it. As soon as she does, she gasps at what she saw. A beautiful ring. An engagement ring.

It had a silver band with two heart-shaped emeralds on it. The emeralds were connected. It was nothing short of stunning.

"Itachi?" She asks uncertainly, not sure what to do or say at the moment.

Was he really proposing? How was that possible though? There was still Danzo to consider. Their relationship was supposed to be a secret. Well at least for now. At least until they could find a way to deal with the power-hungry ninja.

"Hinata, I'm asking you to be my wife. I know that we can not get married immediately. There are loose ends to tie up, but I do love you. I love you more than anything and I'm certainly not going to allow Danzo to come between us." He assures her.

The Hyuga Heiress finds herself smiling in response. Itachi really loved her. He was willing to propose to her, even before the threat was over.

"In that case, I say yes." Hinata tells him as she kisses her beloved.

It was all she could do not to moan, when she feels Itachi passionately return her kiss. She had intended it to be a kiss of genuine happiness. A chaste, joyous kiss.

That wasn't what happened though. It quickly morphed into something more. Something that would have scandalized her father, but Hinata couldn't find it in herself to be too worried about that.

"You have no idea how happy you have just made me. I love you, My Sweet Byakugan Princess." Itachi whispers.

"I love you too, My Sharingan Dragon." She says with a smile as she snuggles close to him.

Meanwhile Kakashi was meeting with the Uchihas and the Hyugas. Well at least the heads of their respective Clans. Normally, he wouldn't dream of getting involved in Clan Matters. This wasn't normally though.

Ever since he had seen Tsuki following Danzo around, the silver haired ninja knew something up. Naturally, he had immediately gone and spoken with Mikoto Uchiha. Thankfully, he had taught her youngest son. Mikoto trusted him and had told him the truth.

"Well after consulting with her husband first." He mutters to himself.

Say what you want about the Uchihas, they tended to function as a unit. There were few secrets that one Uchiha would keep from another, if it didn't impact the safety of the Leaf Village as a whole.

"I think that poison would be the best route." Kakashi suggests.

"He's too suspicious to actually fall for that." Hiashi argues.

Under most circumstances, Kakashi would agree. This wasn't most circumstances though. Danzo was an old man. If he really wanted to become Hokage, he'd have to prove his health. A physical would be necessary.

"When he's getting his blood work done for his physical, we can put poison on the needle. The medics always wear gloves. They'll be safe. Of course, it'll have to be a slow acting poison. We wouldn't want anyone to get suspicious." He reasons.

"Kakashi, that's brilliant." Mikoto says with a sly smile.

It was obvious that the Uchiha was just fine with endorsing such tactics. If anything, she seemed almost eager to use them. That was only to be expected though.

Danzo had tried to blackmail one of her sons. The woman wouldn't be human, if she didn't hold a grudge against him for that. Well at least that was the case in Kakashi's mind.

"Good. That's what we'll do then. It's a simple plan, but one that we must execute carefully. Has anyone seen Itachi or Hinata?" Fugaku asks.

"I haven't seen them today." The Hyuga Patriarch replies.

Kakashi's lips twitch upwards in a smirk. He had a pretty good idea why that was the case. So it seemed that Itachi was going to propose early. Interesting.

"They're probably just on a date." He offers cheerfully.

The CopyCat Ninja didn't doubt for a moment that Itachi and Hinata were indeed on a date, but he doubted it was just any date. The elder Uchiha Sibling was most likely proposing to the Hyuga Heiress as they were speaking. Out of the interest of self-preservation though, Kakashi wasn't going to point that fact out anytime soon.

"Most likely." Fugaku concedes and Hiashi sighs.

Oh boy. The Jonin really hoped that Hiashi was ready for what was likely coming next. Was he ready to be a father-in-law? The man sure wasn't acting like it.

"They're grown rather close as of late. I'm just hoping that Hanabi outgrows her admiration for Sasuke. I don't know if my Clan would stand for both of my daughters being seduced by Uchihas." The lavender eyed man says with a grown as he smacks his forehead in frustration.

The Hyuga Patriarch certainly had his sympathies there. Merging two Clans had to be a messy business. It was especially so when you considered all the centuries of bad blood between them. This wasn't going to be pretty.

Well it wasn't going to be pretty, but Kakashi thought that it was necessary. This might be the only way possible to mend the rift that existed between the two families. Well one could only hope.

"Seduced?! Hanabi is hardly old enough to be seduced. All my son did was dance with her!" Mikoto protests.

"Yes, we have seen what happens when Uchiha men dance with Hyuga woman." Hiashi retorts as he rolls his eyes.

Uh oh. This was rapidly entering dangerous territory. Perhaps, he should make a tactful exit and encourage Hiashi to do the same.

It was such a nice kitchen. It would be a shame to get blood all over the floor. He really should try to prevent a disaster in light of that fact.

"Alright. We've come up with a plan. We should call it a night." He suggests helpfully.

"I suppose you're right. Clearly, Hiashi has had too much to drink. He actually thinks that Sasuke was trying to seduce that girl." Mikoto mutters and even Fugaku was rolling his eyes in agitation.

"Forgive me. I may have overstepped my grounds. I blame the late hour. Kakashi is right. I shall take my leave and wish you all a good night." The Hyuga Patriarch says, deciding to take the lifeline.

"Goodnight." Both Uchihas say as Kakashi leads Hiashi off.

He probably should talk to the man. The Clan Lord needed to get it through his head that it was likely his daughter was going to end up marrying an Uchiha. He needed to come to gripes with that fact and what it meant.

"Hiashi, you know that the boy loves her. You know that, right?" He inquires cautiously.

Hiashi may be a glacial, but ice could be quite the deadly element. Well it could be, when it wanted to be. So the Leaf Ninja knew that he had to approach this carefully. Very carefully.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. I am trying to honor my wife's memory by honoring her wishes, but it's difficult. The fallout from their love is going to be immense. I want my daughter to be happy. I just wish that she hadn't found her happiness with an Uchiha. Things would have been much simpler than." He says with a sigh.

That was a fair point. Unfortunately for Hiashi, love didn't really care about what was simple and what wasn't. Love just was. It was either there or it wasn't. It was as simple as that.

"Yes, I can understand why this must all be a rather vexing time for you. If you love your daughter though and I know that you do, you're going to have to accept the fact that she has found her most precious person and move on. Would you allow Itachi to become a Hyuga?" The Masked Ninja dares himself to ask.

Hiashi looks at Kakashi as though he had struck him with a Chidori by asking that question. Sadly, that was about what the Jonin had expected. Damn it. This wasn't going to be easy.

Oh well. Nothing worth having, ever came easily. Peace between the two largest Clans in the Leaf Village was certainly worth having. It was just a matter of finding a way to ensure that peace came without a high body count attached to it.

"It's not whether I would allow it or not. It's whether my Clan would allow it. We wouldn't know where to put him. He's not a Hyuga. So he shouldn't be put in the Main House, but he would be marrying my daughter. For her to be married to a Branch House Member would be disgraceful to her and the Uchiha Clan." He mutters.

"And how do you feel about the alternative?" Kakashi presses him gently.

"I'm not thrilled about it, but it might prevent a Clan War. Come. Let's get some sake together. Drinking is a habit that I rarely indulge in, but I don't think that I have the strength to deal with this without it." He admits.

Kakashi chuckles. Yes, he supposed having teenage daughters (or nearly teenage in Hanabi's case) was enough to drive any man half insane. He almost pitied him really.

"Very well. I'll go drinking with you. After all, we can't have the leader of the Hyuga Clan falling all over himself." Kakashi says with a wink.

"No, we cannot." Hiashi agrees as they head off together.

Little did the two men know, that they were being watched. They were being watched by two beautiful spirits. Hana Hyuga and Emiko Uchiha.

"I think that we're off to a fine start. Your husband seems to have taken your advice." Hana observes.

"He's a good man. Hiashi wouldn't forget our song. I knew that note would do it. Still the situation with Danzo is quite concerning. Do you think the poisoning plan will work?" Emiko asks fretfully.

Hana sighs. Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure. Though she knew one thing for certain, she wasn't going to allow the likes of Danzo to tamper with Fate.

"I don't know. If it doesn't, we'll be there to pick up the pieces. If at first, you do not succeed, try again." The ancestral ghost reasons.

"Yes, you're right. We mustn't give up that easily. Danzo is a hard man to kill, but that's the only acceptable outcome. I don't like killing, but I certainly do not like anyone threatening our families." She says with a sigh.

"Nor do I. Shall we engage in a little spying on Danzo? Just to make sure that he doesn't have enough votes yet?" Emiko suggests.

Hana nods in agreement. With that, the two women shimmer off together. She had been so relieved when Emiko had befriended her in the afterlife and that hadn't changed since.

The ghost had been alone for a long time. All she could do was watch the living and then along came Emiko. Emiko had become her best friend over the years and she doubted that was going to change anytime soon.

"Good idea. The more angry he seems, the less votes he has." She states.

Her heart still ached for her husband and her son. She missed them more than words could express, but at least Hana wasn't as lonely as she was before. That had been the worst part of being a ghost. The loneliness.

One could see everything that was happening around them, but your ability to interact with anyone was extremely limited. Well unless you happened to run into another ghost. Though most ghosts weren't aware that they were dead and thus made poor companions. Well at least in Hana's experience.

"That's true." Emiko confirms as they shimmer into Danzo's home.

Eventually though, she would find her way back to the man she loved and Bakura. Her husband and her son. The two men that she loved more than anything. It had been so long, that she had almost forgotten what their voices sounded like.

The love never wavered though, even as her mind grew cloudy and her memories less clear. The heart never forgets. She had learned that lesson the hard way, after her death.

"There he is. He looks far too pleased with himself. He's either got the votes or he's close to having them." Emiko whispers.


	13. Chapter 13

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. For those of you wondering, the reason why the last update took so long is because I was focusing on wrapping up a few stories that were closed to being finished. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Budding Rose:** To another reviewer who asked if I was working on another Itachi x Hinata or Sasuke x Hinata x Itachi, I am planning on doing the latter and it will probably take place in a ninja era setting. So if anyone has any requests or suggestions please do feel free to weigh in. This rose of an idea is still seedling. It's probably going to take a couple weeks or maybe a month to fully bloom. Oh and eventually, I'll probably do another Itachi x Hinata.

Chapter 13

Itachi smiles as he feels Hinata snuggle into him. She might be shy, but she was very much an affectionate woman. Sadly, their Clans and Danzo had complicated their relationship to the degree that affectionate is about as far as they had gotten.

Stolen kisses mostly. They hadn't gone much further than that. He did hope that was about to change though. It was a beautiful night and he'd rather not let Danzo take that away from them.

"You look beautiful tonight. As always." He tells her as he leans down to kiss her again.

At the moment, they were sitting on the grass next to the lake. Hinata was sitting in his lap and Itachi rather liked that arrangement. It meant that he could easily wrap his arms around his Byakugan Princess. So it garnered a certain level of closeness that he liked, but he was planning to move things beyond the like phrase.

Well if she would let him, that was. He was stubborn and determined in his own way. All Uchihas were, but he wouldn't go further than she was comfortable with. If need be, he'd just have to deal with a cold bed until their Wedding Night.

"So do you." She whispers between kisses and smiles.

"Usually, most men prefer to be called a more masculine adjective than beautiful. As long as you're happy though, I suppose I don't mind the label." He assures her as he deepens the kiss.

"S-sorry. It's just the first thing that I think of when I think of you. You're beautiful inside and out." The Hyuga Heiress woman stammers out.

God, help him! The woman was simply too adorable. That amount of sweetness should be physically impossible to fit inside one person, but this was Hinata. That was just part of who she was.

"Speaking of inside and outside, I'd like to show you something." Itachi says as he caresses her cheek.

As much as he wanted to make love to her, Itachi wasn't stupid. They were still outside. Someone could stumble upon them. He couldn't make love to her in her bedroom either. There were far too many people who could see through walls at the Hyuga Estate. His Clan's District was also out. (While Uchihas couldn't see through walls, most had exceptional hearing and were exceptionally nosey). So he was going to have to get creative here.

"What do you want to show me?" She whispers.

"My strongest Genjutsu. Tsukuyomi!" He says as he activates it.

It didn't take long for them to appear in the now familiar black, red, and white world that his eyes could create. It looked like the Uchiha District save for the coloration and the fact that it was empty.

His Clan's District was always teaming with life. The Uchihas were a large family. So it was a rarity not to see someone on the streets of the District, even if it was just the night patrol.

"Itachi, what did you do?" Hinata asks a bit nervously.

"I used my Sharingan to produce a powerful Genjutsu. Our bodies are still in the outside world as if nothing ever happened, but I created this world. In this world, I control everything. That includes even the perception of time. I can hold this Jutsu for mere seconds in the outside world, but make it feel as though three days have passed here." He explains.

"That's amazing. Why did you show me this though?" His fiancée asks in confusion.

This was the part where things would either go very well or very wrong. He needed to proceed carefully. Kissing was one thing, but this was another.

"Because I wanted to ensure our privacy. If anyone stumbles on us, they won't see or hear anything. They'll just see us sitting there for a few seconds, not moving." He assures us.

"That's good, but what aren't they supposed to see or hear?" The Hyuga Heiress inquires.

She really was his innocent Byakugan Princess. With any luck though, that was about to change. He shakes his head and gets behind her, brushing his lips against her ear as he whispers to her.

"If you'll allow it, I thought that this would be the safest place for me to make love to you." Itachi whispers.

Hinata shivers as soon as she hears those words and she feels her face heat up. The way that Itachi said that and the way that he had gone to such elaborate lengths to get her alone, spoke volumes. He really was serious about this.

She bites her lower lip as she considers it. It would be smarter to wait until after Danzo was dead. Did she really want to be smart though? His voice and the feeling of his lips against her ear were wickedly seductive and he had already proposed to her. What was the harm?

"You're sure that no one can see?" Hinata dares herself to ask.

She didn't know why she was asking. Itachi likely knew his techniques, inside and out. If he said that no one could see, no one could. This was private and if it was just their minds, there was nothing to worry about.

"I'm positive." He promises her as he places a soft kiss to the back of her neck.

Hinata sighs in contentment as she leans back against him. That felt nice. It always felt nice when he kissed her though. So that wasn't surprising.

Idly, she notes the exceptional amount of control creating a place like this must take. It all felt so real. Every sense was intact. Taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. If she didn't know any better, she could easily believe that this really was the Uchiha District.

"Alright. I've never done this before. S-so tell me, if I do something wrong." Hinata murmurs quickly as she turns around and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Hinata, you could never do anything wrong in this respect. I know that much. I love you." He tells her.

"I love you too." She says with a smile as she shyly pulls his shirt over his head.

She had seen him shirtless before. It was always an impressive sight though. All that sleek muscle and sun kissed skin. He had the barest whisper of a tan. Despite admiring the view, she notes that this time was different though.

This was the first time that she had disrobed him, even partially. That was a major departure for them. That and Itachi didn't seem to mind her doing so. If anything, he was encouraging her by reaching for the sash of her kimono.

 **Warning Lemon**

"Good. There's nothing to be embarrassed of. You're far more beautiful than I am." He teases her lightly as the pink sash of her purple kimono comes off.

"I don't know, if I would agree with that." Hinata whispers as she allows her fingertips to trail along the muscular contours of his chest.

She'd never actually touched him like this before. It was a new experience. Equal parts terrifying and thrilling. Itachi specialized in Genjutsu, but the way that his body was sculpted implied that he could more than handle using Taijutsu.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He concedes as he slowly pushes the silky fabric of her kimono past her shoulders and allows it to pool gracefully to the ground.

Hinata suddenly felt rather embarrassed. She was only wearing chest bindings and a pair of white lacy undergarments over her lower half. She'd worn less in front of him while swimming, but this somehow felt more intimate.

"Y-es." She agrees as she tugs off his pants and somehow finds the courage to do the same to his midnight blue boxers.

Itachi smiles at her encouragingly. For Hinata, that had been surprisingly bold. He really needed a way to help get her over her natural shyness.

"To me though and I suspect many other men would agree, you're the most beautiful woman in the world." He murmurs appreciatively as he unravels her bandages.

He smirks at her response. Predictably, she had blushed. What wasn't as predictable though was how far her blush extended. It extended even to her breasts. Well that was interesting.

"T-hank you!" She mumbles quickly and immediately goes to cover her breasts.

"Hinata, don't cover up. You don't have to hide from me. Besides, I find myself rather fond of the way that even your breasts blush for me. Such an innocent princess." He mutters as he kisses her and slides his hands over them slowly.

A slow seduction would probably be best. Besides, he had been waiting months to finally be with her in this capacity. He was going to savor the moment.

There was a lot to savor. The way she blushed so sweetly for him. The way her beautiful eyes stared at him so trustingly. Her ample breasts, the seductive curve of her hips and backside, and those lovely long legs.

"That feels good." She whispers as she sighs in contentment.

Yes. Yes, it did. He loved the way her silky smooth skin felt under his fingers and how full her breasts were. So responsive as well. Her nipples had already tightened. Though the final layer of clothes separating them was most assuredly going to have to go.

"Good. Tell me what you like and what you don't. We can do whatever you like here. There should be no secrets between a man and his wife. Surely, you must have fantasies. No one else will ever see, but you and me." He tells her as he slides her panties off of her.

"I like it when you touch me there. I want to do the same for you." Hinata replies as she shocks him by slowly moving her hands further down and wrapping around him.

"Nhh! G-good!" He praises her.

Very good actually. The feeling of her soft, silky hand around his arousal was maddening. He decides to reward her boldness by placing several soft kisses along the pale column of her throat and caressing her breasts more thoroughly while one hand slips between her thighs.

Hinata sighs in pleasure at the feeling of Itachi's lips against her neck and his hands against her skin. She'd never felt like this before. The Hyuga woman had only felt a glimmer of this feeling when they kissed.

It was like a fire was burning in her blood and slowly pulling south. Her womanhood was practically humming with desire and that's when he touched her there. In her most intimate place and she moans.

"Don't stop." She orders him as she strokes her almost lover.

She had often heard it called a kunai. Well Itachi's kunai was more of a sword really. Hinata had no idea how that was ever going to fit inside her, but she decides that Itachi probably knew and the feelings that he was evoking in her were too wonderful to really argue.

With that thought in mind, she strokes him faster. She liked the way that he automatically bucked into her touch. The way that he would moan for her and stare at her with crimson red eyes that were smoldering with undisguised lust.

"I wasn't planning to." Itachi assures her as he flicks his tongue against a rosy pink nipple before sucking on it lightly.

Hinata moans and arches against him. That sent a flood of pleasure straight down to her core. She could feel the place between her thighs grow soaked with desire.

The Hyuga woman leans over and kisses neck as she strokes him faster. Itachi wasn't done though. He rubs her womanhood and Hinata shudders against his touch. Why did that feel so good?

So much better than the few times she had actually done it herself. There was something wickedly erotic about the feeling of his large, warm hand down there. His hand was slightly rough, but his touch was gentle. Hinata could only assume the first part was because he had wielded so many fireballs over the course of his life, but she liked it. God, that felt so good.

"Mmm. You've never looked at me that way before." She whispers as she runs her hand along his erection faster.

She liked the way she could feel the heat of his desire. Literally. He was hot to the touch and pulsing underneath her hand and thrusting into her touch so desperately.

"Mmm in what way do you think I'm looking at you now, that I haven't be?" He releases her nipple long enough to ask as he teases her with his hand more.

That's when she feels him rub her clit and slide a finger inside her. Hinata lets out a low moan in response. She instinctively bucks against him, wanting more of that feeling.

"Like you want to devour me." She whispers.

"I have. I just like to think of myself as a gentleman who is good at hiding such things." Itachi tells her with amusement glinting in those crimson red orbs.

"I want you too. I h-heard that men like this. So I want to try. I want to try to do something for you." She murmurs as she sinks to her knees.

Before Itachi could comment further, he found himself moaning. Moaning at the wonderful feeling of Hinata's hot mouth wrapped around his cock. It took every shred of self-control that he had not to thrust into that beautiful mouth of hers and half choke her.

"Y-you heard correctly. Now, let me do something for you as well." Itachi says as he somehow manages to perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

He considered that an impressive feat really. All the blood was quickly rushing south and he was awash in a sea of wicked sensations, but he managed to form a clone anyway.

A clone that was quickly getting behind Hinata and gently nudges her onto her hands and knees. The blush that resulted was nothing short of beautiful. He wished that he had more artistic ability. He would have liked to capture it in a painting.

"Don't hold back. I want to hear how good I make you feel." Itachi says as the clone brushes his tongue against Hinata's womanhood.

Truly, it was an exquisite sight. His gorgeous princess on her hands and knees with his arousal in her mouth as she moaned against him while his clone lapped at her folds. He almost came right then and there, but he manages to refrain. If only just.

"Nhh!" Hinata moans as she squirms wildly and continues sucking.

She wanted to make him feel good, but it was hard to think straight. Mostly, all she could think about was that glorious feeling between her thighs. The feeling of his tongue down there and how wet she was.

The Hyuga woman felt like a damn that was close to bursting as writhes against him and sucks harder. She licks, sucks, and lightly grazes her teeth over the sensitive flesh. Exploring. Trying to figure out what he liked best.

"You taste so sweet." Itachi pants out as he feels his own release building.

Hinata might be shy, but she was a natural in the Art of Seduction. The way that she would suck, lick, and nip slightly was going to drive him over the edge and soon. Still he was determined that she would be the first to tumble over the edge. It was the principle of the thing really. He wasn't some Chunin with no control.

Hinata blushes at this, but sucks more as she looks up at him. Those eyes were going to be the death of him, Itachi swore. Thankfully, he could see that Hinata's body was shaking slightly with pleasure. She was close.

"I want to see what you look like when you come completely undone." He murmurs to her.

Hinata moans in response when she feels Itachi's powerful hands on her thighs, holding her in place. There really was no escape from that wicked tongue of his. Not that she wanted to.

She swiftly releases him from her mouth as she cries out in pleasure. The force of her orgasm was overwhelming. She had never had one that intense before and as she was in the midst of enjoying it, Itachi joins her. Finding his own release almost simultaneously.

"Beautiful. Simply beautiful." Itachi tells her as he dispels his clone and scoops her up in his arms.

The Uchiha carries her to the side of the nearest building and presses her against it. Hinata could feel her back against the wall as she wraps her legs around his waist. Itachi wanted to take her against the wall, it seemed.

Normally, she would have blushed and asked for a bed. A bed was more proper, but her mind wasn't really functioning normally. All that she knew is that she was desperate for his touch and if a wall happened to be the closest convenient surface to make love on, well she was just fine with the wall.

"This is likely going hurt at first, but I promise that you'll feel only pleasure soon enough." He whispers and Hinata kisses him in response.

She wasn't completely naïve. Hinata was training to be a medic. She knew that a woman's first time tended to be…at best awkward at first. That was alright though.

This was Itachi and she wanted to give that to him. She wanted him to be her first. Her first and only, hopefully.

Itachi smiles and kisses back. He decides to take that as consent. He takes a moment to briefly admire the stunning visual of a naked Hinata being pressed against the side of a building with her legs wrapped around him, before slowly burying himself inside her.

"You feel so good." He murmurs between hot kisses.

Hinata whimpers into the kiss and Itachi caresses her cheek as he continues kissing her soothingly. His other hand trailed over the valley of her breasts and slowly descended south. Toying with her clit.

That should distract her from the temporary discomfort. A moment or two later, it appeared to do the trick because he feels her buck against her. Rolling those perfect hips of hers.

"You can move now. It doesn't hurt anymore." Hinata tells him as she rolls her hips once more, experimentally.

Thank goodness for that. Itachi wasn't sure that he could have controlled himself much longer. She was so hot, wet, and tight. This had to be paradise. Surely, it had to be.

"Good." He says simply, wishing that he could think of something more articulate to say.

Mere words couldn't describe this though. The beautiful way she'd arch against him as he dove inside her. Her sweet moans and mews of pleasure. Her feminine scent that never failed to soothe him. The warmth of her skin and the taste of her kiss. It was nothing short of incredible.

Hinata moans as she kisses him and tries to match his pace. At first, she had felt a sharp tearing sensation. Obviously, her virginity was a thing of the past. Well at least in this world. She wasn't too sure about the real world, but she decides to answer that question for another day.

For now, all she could focus on was how good it felt to be joined with him in this way. She could feel him deep inside her as they moved as on. Every touch made her feel as though she was actually flying and moan so wantonly.

"H-harder!" She pants out, wanting to feel even more of her lover's passion.

Itachi didn't seem to have an issue complying though. Hinata soon found herself getting ravished against the wall. Itachi's claiming her faster and faster. The world seemed to almost be spinning. She was lost in a sea of pure physical pleasure and judging by his groans of bliss, he felt the same way.

She was growing even wetter. Hinata didn't think that was possible, but it was. She was on the edge of something absolutely amazing. She had tasted it once when he used his tongue on her, but this was even stronger.

"Itachi!" She screams out his name as she came hard and fast.

"Hinata!" He roars out her name as he came immediately after her.

The next few "days" passed in a blur of tangled limbs and heated moans. Hinata became intimately familiar with the Uchiha District or at least this version of it. She became even more intimately familiar with her soon to be husband though.

By the time they had both collapsed of exhaustion and he finally slid out of her, the Hyuga Heiress doubted that there was a single inch of his skin that she hadn't touched or tasted. On the bright side though, they had finally made it to a bed.

 **End of Lemon**

"I don't believe that I've ever been more grateful to be an Uchiha than at this moment. The Sharingan can be a beautiful thing." He tells her with a smile as he kisses her forehead.

"Mhm. Itachi, the room is spinning." She calls out in alarm.

"That's alright. That's just the Jutsu ending. I can't hold it for much longer. Though I suppose it's time that we went back to our world." He tells her with a smile.

Itacih hadn't been lying. Almost immediately after he said that, they were back by the lake. It was as if nothing happened. Their clothes were even still on.

"So everything that I felt there is what I would feel out here?" She asks as she burrows into his arms.

"Yes, everything will be exactly the same. That Jutsu is designed to give the user complete control of their environment. Usually, it's used to inflict pain. Though I'm rather glad that we did redeem it. Shall I take you home, My Princess?" He murmurs.

She didn't really want to go home. Hinata wanted to stay there. She wanted to stay with him, but she knew that she had to. Her father would be very worried about her.

"I don't want to go home, but that would be the responsible thing to do. I don't want my family to worry about me and I'm sure that you don't want to worry yours." She says.

"You're right. It would be the responsible thing to do and it would be wrong to worry them further. Besides, I think that we indulged in our less than responsible impulses rather splendidly. Don't you? We should at least pretend to be prim and proper for their sakes." He tells her with a teasing smile as he helps his beloved up.

"Yes, we should." Hinata agrees with a blush as she follows him back to the Hyuga Estate.

Well at least now, she had a very good idea what would happen on her Wedding Night. God bless, versatile bloodlines. Who knew that the Sharingan could be used for such sensual purposes?


	14. Chapter 14

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Responses to Guest Reviewer(s):** I'm still mulling over the Itachi x Hinata x Sasuke idea. It has to be balanced just right, otherwise it might come across as cliché. As for Madera x Hinata, I might give that a try one day and I've added it to my Request List, but it's on low priority. If you'd like to discuss these ideas in greater detail, feel free to make an account and private message me. If not, well I'll do my best to address your questions in author's notes.

Chapter 14

A few days later, Itachi knew it was time to solve the _Danzo Problem_. As much as he had _**thoroughly**_ enjoyed his vacation away from the real world with Hinata, it was time to act. In this case, acting meant a slow assassination.

"That should do it." He mutters to himself as he examines the needle that would be doing Danzo's blood work.

He would have liked to perform the procedure himself. He had been training to become a medic for months. Itachi was certified to perform such a "minor" procedure, but it would have been too suspicious.

There was a very good chance that Danzo knew that Itachi knew that the elderly ninja was trying to blackmail his family. If the ninja died after receiving medical care from Itachi, it would raise too many red flags for his ROOT Members. Oh Itachi knew all about ROOT and it left a bitter taste in his mouth, but still one had to deal with the reality of the situation.

"They'd try to avenge him, if they knew that we killed him." He whispers as he Flickers off.

That would be highly ironic, Itachi muses to himself. Danzo had tried them to feel no emotion, but revenge was an emotion. Of course, they would likely argue that they were following orders.

Itachi knew better than that though. One couldn't destroy emotions. One could suppress them though. Suppress them so thoroughly, that it seemed like their emotions had been destroyed. That didn't mean that an individual felt nothing though. Not really.

"Best to get out of here. We still have to inform Hiashi of our engagement tonight." Itachi mutters as he walks around the village.

The Uchiha made it a point to be seen by as many people as possible. He didn't want anyone to see him in the hospital that day and the more people that saw him out and about, the better. The last thing that anyone needed was for the dots to be connected.

The dots about Danzo's death. Thankfully, he was an old man. That meant that illness wouldn't be completely unexpected. That would work in their favor. Still it was better to be safe than sorry.

"There's no reason to make things easier for them." He whispers.

"Itachi!" Sasuke says as he darts over to his older brother.

The other Uchiha smiles. Sasuke was still Sasuke. He might be a sarcastic and sassy one now, but there were still traces of that boy who loved piggyback rides in him. No matter how much they might tease each other, he was still his baby brother.

"Yes, Sasuke?" He asks in amusement.

"Are you going to tell Hiashi about the proposal?" Sasuke asks.

"How did you know that she said yes?" Itachi asks, suddenly glad that his brother was smart enough not to ask such questions too loudly.

It simply wouldn't do to be overheard. If Danzo knew that he had proposed to Hinata, the other ninja would realize his blackmail was useless. Clearly, a proposal meant that their relationship was going public and that meant all his leverage was gone.

"Because it's obvious that she's in love with you. Besides, Shisui is right. It's a rare woman who turns down a marriage proposal, especially one from an Uchiha." Sasuke says smugly.

Itachi chuckles in response. He was going to have to have a talk with his dear cousin. His dear cousin who was obviously becoming just a little too cocky for it to be healthy and was apparently, now influencing Sasuke.

Luckily, it was still at the Cute Stage. Though Itachi wasn't foolish. He knew that it would quickly slide into a more annoying stage. That was why it was up to him to "protect" his brother from such things.

"Well I'm certainly happy about the first part. I would caution you against getting too cocky though. Hanabi might not fall into your arms as easily as Hinata did mine." He says with a smirk as he bounds off around the village.

"HEY! ITACHI!" Sasuke growls as he chases off after his older brother.

Itachi could only laugh in response. It was far too easy to wind Sasuke up sometimes. This was just one of those times.

Meanwhile Emiko and Hana watch from the window of the hospital room. Danzo was getting examined and both of them were aware of Itachi's plans. Neither was entirely certain that this would work though.

That was why they were watching with baited breath. Privately, Emiko knew that last part was a bit silly. It wasn't as if they needed to breathe. Still old habits died hard, the Hyuga woman thinks to herself with an amused smile at her pun.

"Sorry, Lord Danzo. This is just a formality." Shizune assures him.

"That's alright. I don't mind. I'm healthy as a horse. I feel the same today as I did when I was fifty." He assures her.

That was bravado on his part. Emiko highly doubted that was the case. Every other word out of that man's mouth was a lie or a half truth. Why should this be any different?

That and it was just terribly unrealistic. Most men in their seventies, did not feel like they did at fifty. He was bluffing. Probably, trying to make himself seem like a better candidate for Hokage.

"I'm glad to hear it." She says as she performs a rather thorough physical.

The woman was quite the professional. Emiko had to say she was impressed. Unfortunately, she was unwittingly being turned into an assassin.

While she found that distasteful, Emiko wasn't so tenderhearted that she didn't realize it was the practical way to go. After all, it was hard to try someone for murder when they didn't realize they had done it.

"Thank you." Danzo says with a sly smile.

"He's such a viper. I almost feel guilty about allowing that poor woman to be in the same room as him." Hana says.

Emiko couldn't really disagree with that. She felt the same way. Shizune had absolutely no idea what was going on, but that was really for the best.

"I agree. Let's make sure that she gets the right needle. If Danzo dies, it will go a long way towards us finally achieving peace." Shes whispers.

The Hyuga woman was almost positive that Itachi and Hinata marrying and living happily ever after would settle things. Both she and Hana had suffered because of the ridiculous borderline feud between their Clans. It was time to put an end to it.

"You're welcome. Well your vitals are good. I'll have to do some blood work though. Just to be on the safe side." She informs him.

"Naturally. I wouldn't want to lead a village that wasn't thorough in their vetting for who could become Kage." He states as he offers her his arm.

So far, so good. Danzo wouldn't know what hit him. Once he was gone, maybe things would finally move forward. The Uchiha and Hyuga Clans would finally be able to coexist peacefully, even happily.

"That's a very good point." Shizune says as she takes the blood work.

It had been a clever stroke of genius. A slow acting poison was best. If he suddenly dropped dead in the hospital, that would be too suspicious.

This one would likely take a few hours to work, but Emiko hoped that would work in their favor. It was almost over. Once Danzo was buried maybe the bad blood of the past would be buried alongside him.

"Do you really think that this is going to work?" Hana asks her.

"I don't know. I hope so though. That way you'll see your husband and son again and I'll be able to rest in peace because I'll know that our families have mended things and that my daughter will be happy." The other woman replies.

That was what every mother wanted, really. For their children to be happy. Well that's what any good mother would want, she thinks to herself.

"Yes, that would be very nice. It seems that she's given him the correct needle. It's now in the hands of Fate." Her ancestor notes.

"Yes, I suppose it is." Emiko agrees as the two women fade off together.

There was nothing else they could do at the moment. The hardest part was waiting, but it may very well prove to be wroth it. At least, that's what Emiko and Hana were hoping.

A short while later, Hinata gulps as she heads to the Uchiha District. She and Itachi were going to tell their families about the engagement. She wasn't entirely certain how her father would react the news.

Nothing was going to stop her from marrying Itachi, but she didn't want her father to be upset about the marriage. Hinata loved him dearly. He was just very old fashioned sometimes.

"Hinata, you're white as a sheet. Are you alright?" Mikoto asks as she notices the Hyuga woman walk inside the house.

"I'm f-fine." Hinata lies, but she was positive that the Uchiha Matriarch had seen through the flimsy lie.

Clearly, she wasn't fine. Today was one of the most important days of her life. It would determine her path going forward. Would she be allowed to have one foot in both worlds or cast aside completely from her Birth Clan.

Hinata didn't know and that was more than a little terrifying. Thankfully, Itachi was already there. He sends her a reassuring smile and Hinata feels her resolve strengthen. They were doing the right thing. They just had to make her father see that.

"I can't lie, I'm growing concerned. What's wrong?" Hiashi inquires as they all sit down at the table together.

Hinata notes that even her sister was there. Sasuke seemed to be doing his best to keep a respectful distance. It made her want to giggle. He looked so mortified.

Not that she could entirely blame him. Her father was having a difficult enough time accepting her love for Itachi. Accepting the fact that both of his daughters had "fallen" for an Uchiha would likely be a bridge too far.

"Nothing is wrong. It's very right. Hinata is just worried that you might not see it that way." Itachi says as he kisses his cheek.

"What he means to say is that they're engaged. Itachi proposed to her and because no woman can resist an Uchiha, well she accepted." Shisui says cheerfully.

Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly as she sees Aiya smack her forehead in frustration and Kenji do likewise. More likely than not, they were used to such antics from Shisui Uchiha. Mercifully, they had more tact though.

"Did you really propose to my daughter?!" Hiashi demands.

"Yes, I did. While I wish that my cousin was more modest in his explanation, it's an accurate one. I asked Hinata to become my wife and she accepted. We do hope that you will be happy for us. It's not our wish to cause a rift between the Clans, but we love each other and are not going to be talked out of exchanging our vows." He states firmly.

Hinata smiles and holds Itachi's hand in response. He was so confident. She doubted that Itachi would have backed down, if Hiashi decided to physically attack him for such an announcement. He was brave.

"Hiashi, don't loose your temper. It's a good thing. They're in love and they want to show the world that in a proper fashion. Would you prefer that Itachi seduce your daughter outside of marriage?" Fugaku asks.

"FUGAKU, THAT IS NOT THE POINT!" Hiashi thunders at him.

"Don't raise your voice at my husband in our house in such a fashion. It is most unbecoming of a Clan Head and disrespectful." Mikoto warns him.

Hiashi glares at Mikoto. He knew that the woman was just doing what any proper wife would do. She was defending her husband. Still he didn't care to be addressed in such a way.

"Hinata, do you fully understand what this means? You would be marrying into his Clan. Itachi couldn't marry into ours. You would be giving up your position as our Clan Heir and would be moving into the Uchiha District." He points out.

"Father, I understand that completely. I'm alright with that. Hanabi will make a wonderful Clan Head someday and I love Itachi. I don't want this to cause bad blood between us, but I'm not willing to give him up just for the sake of my title. That's especially true, when you have Hanabi. It's not as though the Hyuga Clan will be left without an Heir." Hinata says.

Hiashi sighs. What his eldest was saying was very logical. Sadly, he just wasn't feeling logical.

In his mind, Itachi had just stolen his daughter. That was a bitter pill for him to swallow. As much as he was loathed to admit it though, he could see that Itachi did love Hinata. It wasn't his fault that they had been born into separate Clans. Clans who generally didn't get along with each other.

"Then if this is what you truly want, I shall give you my Blessing. I only want for you to be happy and safe, Hinata." Hiashi tells her as he caresses her cheek affectionately.

He didn't want to do it, but he had to let her go. His wife had even sanctioned the union. How Emiko had managed to leave him a message from the afterlife, he didn't know.

It didn't really matter. What mattered is that she had. Hiashi wasn't going to disrespect her final wish. If Emiko truly thought that Itachi was Hinata's Sun, Moon, and Stars, then he wasn't going to stand in their way.

"It's what I truly want. I still love you, father. I always will. It's just that I have to live my own life." She whispers.

He sighs and nods in agreement. No matter how painful it was, it was time for her to leave the nest. He wasn't going to be the one to clip her wings. His wife would never forgive him for such a thing and he wasn't that cruel.

There had been a time, when he had been in Itachi's position. Asking Emiko's father for permission to marry her. He would have jumped through fire for that woman and he supposed that Itachi would do the same for Hinata. It wouldn't be right to keep them apart.

"I will always love you as well. Though Sasuke, keep your hands off my second daughter. One Uchiha seducing one Hyuga is more than enough." Hiashi says with a sigh.

"I wasn't doing anything!" Sasuke protests.

"Good. Keep it that way. She's way too young for such things and even if she wasn't, that's quite enough. First, it was Izuna and Hana. Now, it's Itachi and Hinata. We don't a third time." He reasons.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. The man was embarrassing him and Hanabi and he didn't appreciate it. She was just a kid whose crush had gone a little too far. That didn't mean that Hiashi had to humiliate her and him simultaneously.

"I don't know who Hana was, but that's got nothing to do with me. If I was you, I'd drop it. Hanabi looks like she is sincerely considering Gentle Fisting you for embarrassing her and I haven't done anything to warrant being talked to in that way." He warns him.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me, young man?!" Hiashi demands.

"Yeah. I did. Be happy for Hinata and Itachi. Leave me out of it and stop embarrassing Hanabi." He retorts.

Seriously, the girl just gave him tomatoes and followed him around like a lost puppy. It would be cute, if it wasn't so awkward. There was simply too much bad blood between the Clans for him to indulge her whims.

Hanabi was only doing what young girls would do in her situation. She was getting her first crush. Eventually, it would blow over. Why Hiashi couldn't understand that, Sasuke didn't know.

"Meow! You tell him!" Tsuki purrs with approval.

"Wonderful. The cat is conspiring against me." Hiashi mutters.

"I wouldn't refer to Tsuki as the cat. She's a Ninja Cat and a part of this family. That and she has rather sharp claws." Itachi warns him.

Honestly, he knew that Hiashi was still upset about the engagement. That was only natural. Their Clans had been at odds for years, but he needed to control his temper.

Apparently, he was willing to give Hinata his blessing. Not Hanabi though. Normally, Itachi would say that was rather hypocritical. Still it wasn't too hard to see the Hyuga Patriarch's reasoning in this case.

"Right. A Ninja Cat." He corrects himself as he launches into sneezing fit.

Hanabi was quite simply too young for such things to be a concern. Hinata wasn't though. Hinata had already had his Introduction and she was going to be his wife.

Privately, Itachi gave it about a fifty percent chance that eventually the same thing would happen to Hanabi. She was rather determined. Didn't most crushes disappear on their own by now? It had been awhile.

"Well I'm quite pleased about this events. I'm sure that Hinata will be a wonderful Granddaughter-In-Law." Kenji says happily.

"Granddaughter-In-Law?" Itachi asks with a raised eyebrow.

"It's like a Daughter-In-Law, but further down." He says with a shrug as if it was a perfectly natural title.

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. Leave it to his grandfather to try to break the ice in such a creative way. The man was obviously trying to ease tensions. Whether it was going to work or not, the Uchiha wasn't certain.

He did appreciate the attempt though. It was rather sweet of his grandfather to step in on his behalf like this. Heartwarming, really.

"In that case, I'm honored to be your future Granddaughter-In-Law." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

That was one of the many reasons why he loved her. Hinata's gentle nature meant that she wanted everyone to be happy. She was good at reading a room and do what it took to achieve that goal.

There were times when that was a liability though. More often than not, you couldn't please everyone. Hinata still had to learn that lesson.

"Good. Well I can't wait for the marriage and to meet my great grandchildren." Aiya says with a smile.

Itachi rubs the back of his head sheepishly in response to that. Well it was good to know that he had his grandmother's support. Still it was a bit early for that.

He really didn't want Hiashi to faint on them. While Itachi did want children with Hinata one day, there was a very good chance that speaking about that possibility would make the Hyuga Patriarch faint. That was obviously something that he wanted to avoid, if at all possible.

"It's a bit soon to be speaking of such things, don't you think?" Hiashi asks.

"It's never too soon to speak of great grandchildren." She replies with a sweet smile of her own.

Oh boy. Hiashi Hyuga might not know it yet, but he was treading on dangerous ground. No one wanted to test Aiya when she used that smile. It was just an unspoken rule of Uchiha Life.

"Right. Of course, well Itachi…did you do it?" Hiashi asks.

"Yes, I did it. I put the poison on the needle. Now, all we have to do is wait." He replies.

"Good. I shall head back to the Hyuga District with my daughters and perhaps I'll stop by and inform Kakashi of what is going on. The poison was his idea, after all." He reasons.

Itachi nods in agreement. Hiashi wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the full story either. The man was obviously feeling uncomfortable. He simply needed some time to absorb everything.

The Uchiha couldn't begrudge him that. If he was in Hiashi's sandals, well Itachi would be feeling rather overwhelmed as well. Though he couldn't help, but smile when Hinata kissed his cheek goodnight.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Hinata whispers, after kissing his cheek.

"Yes, you will. Sweet Dreams, My Byakugan Princess." He says with a smile.

"And sweet dreams to you as well, My Sharingan Dragon." Hinata says as she heads off with her family.

Itachi lets out a sigh of relief as he watches his beloved leave. Well that went better than expected. Most likely because Hiashi didn't know what they had done in his Genjutsu.

If the father of two ever found out about that, Itachi had no doubts that he would be a dead man. As powerful as he was, a father's rage was something that was not to be trifled with. Itachi knew that much.

The next day, Danzo wakes up gasping for breath and clutching at his heart. Something was wrong, very wrong. Why was he in such agony?!

"It can't be. W-was I poisoned?!" He growls out between desperate gasps for breath.

It felt like his heart was pumping far faster than he should be. He was having a heart attack. That shouldn't be the case.

He had always been so healthy. Why would he have a heart attack so suddenly? Either way, he knew that he had to get to a medic and fast.

"M-Must Flicker!" He grunts out as the elderly ninja struggles to perform the Body Flicker Technique.

It was such a simple technique. One that he had mastered as a child, but now he couldn't do it. The pain was too intense. He couldn't focus, but he had to. If he was going to survive this, he had to!

Thankfully, he always had a messenger hawk by his bed. It might be his only chance. He had to take it.

"O-Operation Clan is a failure. Uchiha and Hyuga counterstrike. G-Get me a medic quickly!" He grunts out.

The hawk took off. He had to fight this. Danzo knew that had to keep his heart beating enough for a medic to get here, but it was difficult. His version was going blurry and the room was spinning.

Whatever poison they had used on him, must have been slow acting. The only way they could have done it was by getting him while he was at the hospital. The Uchihas and Hyugas were the ones who had the most motive. It had to be them.

"T-They will pay for this!" He snarls out and those were his dying words.

Suddenly, his entire body begins to spasm and his heart beats frantically for several moments. Until it completely stopped beating. That was what the medic found when they arrived at the scene.

"Oh God!" Sakura says as she tries to revive Danzo.

It was too late though. He was gone. No matter how many times, she tried to get his heart to restart, it wouldn't happen.

"Heart attack. He died of a heart attack." She whispers to herself in shock.

While she had never liked Danzo, the man had seemed borderline immortal. It was hard to believe that he was really dead, but there was no denying the truth. Danzo was gone.


	15. Chapter 15

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the Battle Chapter.

 **Happily Ever Afters:** Feel free to weigh in on whether you would like two separate chapters for the Wedding and Honeymoon, one big chapter that combines them, or just simply to imply those two events. **Majority will rule.**

Chapter 15

The next day, word of Danzo's death was spreading like wildfire. The entire village now knew. So far it looked like everyone truly believe that it was a heart attack. The Members of ROOT quite frankly would feel insulted by that, if they could feel anything.

"It wasn't a natural death. We all know that." Raza says.

Raza was now the leader of ROOT. He had been Danzo's Second-In-Command. That meant that it was up to him to avenge their fallen leader and he was going to do so.

"The hawk said as much. The Uchiha and Hyuga Clans are responsible. We all know that. Though they're both too large for us to successfully take them all out. That's why Lord Danzo came up with a suitable response, should something like this ever happen. He knew the risks." Aoi replies.

Aoi was a Jonin with short lime green hair and crimson eyes. That combined with his lithe muscular build and handsome face made him particularly useful for any missions that involved seduction.

Right now though, Aoi was proving his worth. Well at least that was the case in Raza's mind. There was really only one way to hit the two largest Clans in the village where it hurt without dooming their entire organization.

"Yes, he did. Well there's only one way to truly avenge him. We need to cripple those Clans. It'd be suicide to take them head on and he knew that. There are simply too many of them. It would be nearly impossible to launch a sneak attack against that many Byakugans and the Sharingan's offensive capabilities are formidable." Raza reasons.

Rasa was almost certain that Danzo had chosen him to be his Right Hand Man in part because of his presence. Even when he wasn't trying to be, there was something about his massive size and stocky build that intimidated people.

His brown eyes glance around the room as he does a headcount. They should be able to launch a sneak attack against the Heirs. He sighs and runs his fingers through his long dark brown hair that resembled Neji Hyuga's in style.

"We'll divide up. Hanabi is young. She should be relatively easy to get rid of. Sasuke is a threat though. The girl has been known to follow him around. So if you find one, you'll probably find the other. As for Hinata and Itachi, DO NOT make eye contact with Itachi and watch out for Hinata's strikes. She can lock up your chakra. I want them all dead. Any questions?" He asks.

"No, Sir!" Came a chorus of replies.

Raza nods in approval and divides his men up into two teams. The smaller team would go after the younger set of Heirs and the larger one would target Itachi and Hinata. Some of them might die on this mission, but Raza was okay with that.

He couldn't allow those Clans to kill his Master and for there to be no consequences. Besides, this had been Danzo's last wish. He would honor it.

Meanwhile Sasuke was at one of the training grounds. He needed to work off some of his nervous energy. Danzo was dead and his Clan had played a large role in that.

"So far, so good." He mutters to himself as he smacks another training post.

As far as he could tell, everyone seemed to believe that it was actually a heart attack. Though that probably shouldn't have surprised him. Danzo was in his seventies and a ninja like him had obviously put strain on his heart at some point. That combined with his age made a heart attack look like a realistic possibility.

"You don't think that they'll believe it?" Hanabi asks suddenly.

"Hanabi! What are you doing here?!" Sasuke demands.

He didn't know whether to be impressed or disturbed. Impressed because the Chunin had managed to sneak up on him or disturbed because she had. He was a Jonin. Hanabi shouldn't have been able to do that!

Had he really been that out of it? Was he so out of it that anyone could have snuck up on him? That was how ninjas wound up dead!

"I was just watching you train. I figured that it would be best, if I kept out of sight today. I don't want to give anything away with my face." She tells him.

With her face? That's when he looks at her more closely. Yeah. Those lavender orbs were definitely nervous. Anyone would have noticed.

"Alright. That's a fair point. You do have guilt written all over that face of yours." He concedes with a sigh.

"And you're about to have a kunai written all over yours! Sasuke! Get down!" Hanabi says as she shoves him to the ground and cries out in pain.

Sasuke feels a splash of blood against his cheek and blinks. That's when he saw the kunai sticking out of Hanabi's shoulder. She was bleeding. They were under attack!

"Hanabi, stay behind me." He says as he rolls the young girl off of him and stands in front of her.

"Awe. That's cute. The kid took a hit for you. Never thought I'd see a Jonin have to be protected by a little girl though. So much for those fancy eyes of yours, huh?" A man says as he reveals himself.

Sasuke's eyes narrow at the green haired man. He wasn't alone though. Sasuke could feel some other chakra signatures around the training camp. Damn it.

He had been so distracted by Hanabi, he hadn't even noticed their approach. They must have been masking their chakra. That was a mistake on his part, but one that he was going to rectify.

"I wouldn't underestimate someone because of their age or gender. All she has to do is use that Byakugan of hers to find your weak spot and you're out with one hit." Sasuke points out as he forms some clones to surround Hanabi and goes flying at the first one.

"Oh she isn't going to lock up my chakra points!" He roars at Sasuke as he tries to block the punches and kicks that were being thrown at him.

"I wasn't talking about your chakra points. I was talking about an even smaller target!" Sasuke says smugly as one punch lands, sending the man flying back.

Unfortunately, it was a clone. It disappears with a loud poof and Sasuke's eyes instantly scan the area. If that was a fake, where was the real one?!

"You're a smartass, huh?! Showing off for your little girlfriend? That's cute kid. Isn't she a bit young for you though?!" The man demands as he comes flying out of the ground and Sasuke jumps back.

He had burrowed under the Earth was going to attack him that way. That was quite clever, but not clever enough. Sasuke thinks to himself as he grabs the man's hand and throws him over his shoulder.

"Take this!" Hanabi says as she tries to lock up the man's chakra point.

He had landed only a few feet away from her and the Hyuga girl had taken the opportunity. Really, Sasuke would have been proud. Well he would have been proud if he wasn't terrified for her.

What the Hell was she thinking?! She was going to get herself killed! Hanabi clearly didn't know what she was going up against.

"You should worry more about yourself than her!" Another man says as he charges at Sasuke.

"Good point. Demon Wind Shuriken!" Sasuke says as he takes out his weapon and hurls it straight at that enemy ninja.

The target struck true and sliced the other man in half. Blood splattered everywhere on the ground. The grass was no longer green. It was blood red.

For a second, Sasuke felt guilty about having the twelve year old see that much carnage. He didn't have time to dwell on that though as another ninja came rushing at him. He was soon tackled to the ground.

"Sasuke!" Hanabi cries out.

"It's fine! I'm okay!" He tells the Hyuga Girl as he and the ROOT Member grapple on the ground.

Unfortunately, he had a kunai in his hand. Sasuke's larger weapon was gone and it was unlikely he was going to be able to grab his kunais. As he feels the kunai slice into his neck, he knew that he really only had one option.

Chidori! He was going to fry this son of a bitch! Sasuke radiates the lightning along his body and the man jumps off him in pain.

"Pretty!" Hanabi says and Sasuke's eyes widen as he sees one of their attackers coming at her.

Damn it. She had let herself be distracted. He moves to help her, but it was too late. Hanabi had already whirled around and blocked that person's chakra.

"Not bad, for a kid. You're still dead though." Aoi says as he stammers to his feet and slams his fist into Hanabi's shoulder, sending her flying back.

That bastard. He was hitting her where the kunai was still lodged. Sadistic prick!

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit girls?!" Sasuke growls as he Flickers over and gets behind Aoi.

He grabs hold of his neck and snap it. The man falls lifelessly to the ground and Sasuke stares down their remaining attackers with his ruby red eyes. Hanabi with her Byakugan.

"YOU'RE BOTH DEAD! THIS IS FOR LORD DANZO AND AOI!" A bulky red head screams as releases two Water Dragons at them.

Sasuke was able to counter it though. That, the spears, and the barrage of other weapons. Thank God for the Sharingan or he would have been a goner.

Thankfully, while he was distracting them, Hanabi was able to get behind enemy lines. One by one, she locks up their chakra points. Not without taking several blows herself though.

The Uchiha winces as he notes she had a busted lip and a black eye. That and a few other minor injuries. Still she was alive and that was the most important thing.

"We need to find Itachi and Hinata, now. If they came after us, I think Danzo had a backup plan in place." Sasuke says.

"He ordered them to kill the heirs, if anything happened to him." Hanabi whispers.

Sasuke nods in agreement. Smart girl, he thinks to himself as he walks over and very gingerly pulls the kunai out of her. He sighs as he sees it bleed and rips off his sleeve, bandaging it.

"You should go and get help. You're already injured and you're fast enough you can get back up quickly." He reasons.

"I'm not going to leave my sister alone to face those thugs!" She protests.

"She's not alone! She's with Itachi! That and your sister is strong. They can manage while you get backup." Sasuke argues.

About thirty seconds later, it became rather apparent that Hanabi was a stubborn little thing. Sasuke groans and smacks his forehead. They were wasting too much time.

"Fine! Come on! We have to hurry!" He says and with that, the two younger Heirs race off in search of their siblings.

Elsewhere Hinata and Itachi were heading back to the Uchiha District when they were passing through a training ground. That was when thousands of needles were suddenly thrown at them. .

"HINATA! GET DOWN!" Itachi says as he shoves his lover to the ground.

Thankfully, most of the needles had missed. The ones that hadn't had only pierced Itachi's long sleeved shirt. He had gotten lucky. Very lucky.

"Are you alright?!" Hinata asks him anxiously.

"Yes, I think so. What about you?" He asks warily as he helps his fiancée to her feet.

"Shame. It looks like she's alright. Had you not dodged, you'd both be dead now. Those were aimed at vital spots. I did want to give you a quick death. Lovers should die together. Don't you think?" The elder Uchiha Brother hears someone taunt him.

Itachi wasn't in the mood to be taunted, however. This man was going to suffer in his Tsukuyomi. Unlike Hinata, the Uchiha would ensure that their attacker did not enjoy his time there.

"Itachi! Look out! There's more of them!" Hinata says as she activates her Byakugan.

Thank goodness for that bloodline trait. It was certainly going to make it harder for their attackers to hide. Which was a good thing. Itachi was planning on killing them all swiftly.

He had more important things to worry about. Itachi Uchiha had a wedding to plan. He didn't have time to be dealing with Danzo's hired thugs.

"I know. So I guess we know how big Danzo's Cult really was now." He mutters.

"Oh don't be an idiot. This isn't all of us. We had to send some to deal with your backups." Raza says with a smirk as he hurls a barrage of weapons at him.

Hinata was able to deflect by using her family's technique and spinning around her lover in a defensive circle though. Itachi smirks. There were definitely a few advantages to falling in love with a Hyuga woman.

"You're going to have to do better than that and I'm certain that Sasuke will make quick work of the rest of your lapdogs." Itachi says as he looks for an opening to capture him in his Genjutsu.

That's when he realizes that their opponents were blindfolded. They must have been taught to fight without their sense of sight. It suddenly dawns on Itachi that Danzo may have been planning a confrontation with his family for years, if they were this experienced at dealing with the Sharingan.

"Itachi! Crows!" Hinata calls out as she begins facing off with some of their foes in hand to hand combat.

While Hinata may not have the greatest physical force behind her strikes, she did have the potential of locking up chakra networks. Some of her strikes were connecting as Itachi notices less Jutsus being hurled about.

"TAKE THIS! SERPENT'S KISS!" Someone snarls as a large snake made out of Earth comes barreling at his lover.

Itachi's eyes widen in terror. The snake smacks into Hinata, slamming her into the ground. He hears a sickening crack and realizes that it was likely at least one of her bones was broken, probably more.

"Hinata!" He calls out to her fearfully.

"Get your cheap imitation of a snake away from my future Sister-In-Law! Aoda, show them how it's done!" Itachi hears a familiar voice call out as a giant snake appears.

This one was actually real though and one he recognized. Aoda. Sasuke's favorite Summon and a rather angry looking one at the moment as well. The massive reptile begins smacking his tail at some of the enemy ninjas.

"Thank you, Sasuke!" Itachi says as he summons some of his crows and directs them to steal the blindfolds.

Once he got them in his world, it would be over. From there, it would be a simple matter to get the truth out of them and kill them quickly.

As Aoda and his crows were flying and fighting, he hears the sounds of the Gentle Fist being deployed. It wasn't just Hinata though. There were clearly two Hyugas on the battlefield.

"You brought Hinata's sister to the battlefield?!" He roars at Sasuke.

"I told her to stay behind and get help, but she wouldn't listen. It's not my fault that she's stubborn!" Sasuke retorts.

Itachi was about to inform Sasuke that you couldn't just let twelve year olds battle ROOT Members! It didn't matter how stubborn they were. That was until he feels a sharp pain in his back and looks down to see a kunai sticking through him.

"You really should spend more time focusing on the battle than on lecturing your brother, now die!" He snarls.

"And you really should know better than to get within range of my Sharingan. Tsukuyomi!" Itachi snarls as he yanks out the kunai and whirls around to face his attacker.

"Damn it!" The man growls in frustration.

That was putting it mildly. It was time to make this man talk. They had to find out how many people were after them and were there other attacks being planned.

"This is a world entirely of my own creation. I control everything here. Every sensation and even the perception of time. You can make this easier on yourself by telling me what you were planning or I can force answers out of you. For your sake, I do hope you aren't foolish enough to choose the latter option." Itachi warns him.

"Gentle Fist!" Hinata thunders out as her strike lands on another opponent.

She was fighting with at least a couple of cracked ribs and probably other injuries thanks to that Serpent's Kiss. That didn't matter though. Adrenaline could be a powerful force.

It was all a blur. A flurry of Jutsus, weapons, and physical strikes. They were outnumbered, but Hinata was confident that they would eventually be victorious. There was no other option. They had to be.

"You're a cute kid. Too bad that you have to die today!" A Root Member says to Hanabi as he captures her in a Shadow Possession.

Hinata was about to go and help her sister, but Sasuke was already there. A Lion's Barrage soon followed suit. Truly, it was a vicious serious of punches and kicks with bone crushing force.

Most of the Leaf Village wasn't aware of this, but many Uchihas had a soft spot for kids. Itachi's brother didn't seem to be an exception to that rule. His strikes were more ferocious than was really necessary to deal with his opponents.

"Sister, are you okay?!" Hinata shouts out.

"Yes, I think so!" Hanabi yells at her as she rejoins the fray.

Hinata didn't particularly care of the fact that her sister's arm was bandaged and Sasuke was missing a sleeve. Raza hadn't been lying when he said that they were targeting the "backups." Obviously, Sasuke and Hanabi had been attacked before coming here.

They needed to end this and soon. Hanabi was already bleeding and she had likely broken bones. They were still outnumbered, but the numbers of their foes were swiftly dwindling.

"Humans are usually smart enough to run when they're outmatched." Aoda comments as he swings his mighty tail again, crushing another ROOT Member.

The Hyuga Heiress winces as she realizes Aoda had been hit again and again. There were multiple wounds along his body. Burn marks from Jutsu and injuries from weapons, but the serpent continued fighting on nonetheless. If there was one thing that Aoda was apparently good at, it was powering through pain and delivering more strikes.

Itachi's crows were still flying about the battlefield, yanking off blindfolds and scratching out eyes when they could. Hinata saw more than one ninja with blood screaming out of their eyes. Her lover had taught his Summons well.

"Take this!" Hinata growls at her enemies as she sends some Water Needles at them.

The fact that Itachi had stopped moving could mean only one thing. He captured that man in his Genjutsu. It was up to them to distract their opponents for just a few seconds. Hinata was now _**intimately**_ familiar with that technique and knew how it worked.

Her lover was going to get them some answers. They just had to give him the time that he needed to get them. With that thought in mind, she throws herself more into the battle.

Approximately five seconds later, the bluenette notices the body fell to the ground. Itachi takes out a kunai and slashes the man's throat. The man died almost instantly.

"This is the last of them. If we kill all of them now, that will be the end of it!" Itachi calls out.

"Right! SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Hinata, Hanabi, and Sasuke all call out in unison.

Hinata wasn't sure what Itachi had done to that man while he was trapped inside his Genjutsu, but it hadn't been pretty. He had such a horrified expression on his face. At that moment, she decides she didn't want to know.

Itachi was her most precious person. The person who loved her more than anything and made love to her in a way that proved it. He was the man she was going to marry and while she knew that like all ninjas he had a dark side, the Hyuga woman didn't need to see it in that instance. Her imagination was more than enough.

"Sasuke, Summon Garuda as well." Itachi says and the younger Uchiha nods as he does exactly that.

There were still so a handful of ROOT Members left, but that didn't last long. They fought back with everything they had, but they were no match. There were simply too many clones, Summons, and Heirs to defeat.

Hinata felt a stab of pity for them, but she fights it back. These people would have killed them all. They didn't need pity. She wasn't going to let anyone hurt her family.

"That's the last of them." Itachi mutters as he stabs a kunai straight through the heart of one them.

"What are we going to say? We've killed a least a few dozen people today. Someone is going to notice." Sasuke points out.

"We'll say that they killed themselves out of grief. These people are all known to be loyal to Danzo. Of course most people aren't aware of his little cult or to what extent his followers were brainwashed, but it's believable." Itachi says.

Hinata nods in agreement. She was about to say something, when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Well more specifically, she saw someone.

"Mother?" She whispers to herself.

The woman that looked exactly like her mother, smiles and holds her fingers to her lips. It was a shushing motion. Whoever she was or whatever she was wanted Hinata to be quiet.

She smiles and points to another figure. This one was a man. A man in his twenties, she supposed. He was an Uchiha, but his hair was dark blue and eyes were lavender. Hyuga eyes.

"Bakura!" Someone says as they rush over to him.

"Mother!" The male apparition replies as he embraces a second Hyuga woman.

"Do you see them?" Hinata whispers to Itachi.

Itachi gives her a strange look and scoops her up in his arms. She could tell that he hadn't seen them. That was alright though. They looked happy. Maybe, some things where better left unsaid.

"Hinata, we got everyone. Let's get to the hospital. You need those ribs looked at and we've all sustained at least a few injuries." He whispers.

"You're right." Hinata agrees and with that, Itachi carries her off towards the hospital.

The Hyuga Heiress was content to allow herself to be carried off as the Summons disappeared. The battle was won and they were free to return home. It was finally over. Other than a few "minor" injuries to patch up and a wedding to plan, they could all live happily ever after.

Danzo was gone and with their marriage, their Clans would finally begin to put the bad blood of the past exactly where it belonged. In the past. That and while Hinata doubted that she would ever know for sure, she felt like Hana had finally found her son and her mother was happy in whatever came after this life. That thought brings a smile to her face as she falls asleep in her lover's arms, just as they all arrived at the hospital.


	16. Chapter 16

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the Wedding/Honeymoon Chapter.

Chapter 16

 _Five weeks._ It had taken five weeks for them to recover from their injuries and to organize the wedding. Mostly though, it was the organizing the took the longest portion of those 35 days. Yes, Hinata had counted.

"You look beautiful, Big Sister." Hanabi says with a smile as the two week inside their home for the signal.

"Thank you, Hanabi." Hinata replies with a smile of her own.

Soon enough, one of Itachi's crows would fly by the window and that's when Hinata and her Bridal Procession would know to head out. Mikoto had been worried about Itachi's Summon seeing Hinata in her wedding kimono, but her sister was going to take care of that. Hanabi was stubbornly waiting for the crow right by the window.

The younger Hyuga would block the crow's view of Hinata. That meant that Itachi wouldn't be able to sneak a peek. Hinata giggles at the thought. Her little sister definitely took her role as the Maid of Honor seriously.

"That kimono does look lovely on you." Aiya says, positively beaming about the wedding.

Hinata knew why. The woman wanted great grandchildren. Well supposed that was only natural. Almost every woman her age, did.

"Thank you. Well it shouldn't be long now." The Bride mutters as Mikoto nods her head in agreement.

They were having their wedding on the streets of the Uchiha District. Quite frankly, their families were both enormous. The problem of a massive guest list was only further compounded by the fact that every member of both Clans wanted to attend. That and so did everyone in the Rookie Nine and their respective Senseis.

The Uchihas had done an excellent job at making their streets an appropriate venue though. Everywhere that Hinata looked, she saw beautiful flowers of every color displayed. Gorgeous tapestries with the Uchiha and Hyuga Family Crests on them. Not to mention at least a couple thousand colorful lanterns strung about the street, helping the stars and the Moon illuminate the warm summer night.

"Oh look! There goes Mirai!" Kurenai says in an absolutely delighted voice.

Indeed. The toddler was prancing along the crowded streets carrying a bucket of flowers that was probably bigger than she was. That was okay though. Konohamaru and his friends were helping her. Just in case the bucket proved too large and heavy for the energetic toddler to handle.

After that, it didn't take long for the crow to tap on the window. With that, the Bridal Procession heads off. Hinata smiles with every step as her feet slowly walked down the red carpet.

"Wow." She whispers under her breath.

Where her family and the Uchihas had found such a long red carpet, she had no idea. That and Hinata still didn't know how they had gotten enough food to feed at least a thousand guests together so quickly, but the refreshment tables were piled high with mountains of delicious looking food and drinks. She had never seen anything like it.

The effect was truly stunning, but there was something even more magnificent. Itachi's smile at the alter. Itachi was standing next to a beautiful silver water fountain and a golden alter that had white lilies woven into it.

"You look beautiful." Itachi whispers to her as he takes her hands in his own and smiles at his soon to be wife.

"So do you." Hinata replies back automatically, earning a chuckle from her Groom.

Itachi's procession included Sasuke, Shisui, Neji, and Naruto. Kenji and Fugaku were in the audience. The elder Uchiha Brother had also chosen Sasuke to be his best man.

At the moment, Itachi was wearing a navy blue wedding kimono with the Uchiha Crest on the back. It suited his dark hair and aristocratic features well. The silky fabric also subtlety emphasized all that sleek muscle that was hidden underneath it in an alluring fashion.

"Thank you, My Byakugan Princess." He murmurs lowly enough that only Hinata could hear him.

"You're welcome, My Sharingan Dragon." She whispers back.

"Dearly Beloved, we're gathered here today to celebrate the union of Hinata Hyuga and Itachi Uchiha. If anyone has any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace. Though I wouldn't try it, if I were you. Itachi graduated the Academy at seven for a reason and Hinata knows how to lock up every chakra point on your body. So really, it'd be pretty stupid to objection. Still you know, I have to ask. It's a formality more than anything." Jirayia says.

Hinata laughs softly at that and Itachi smirks. Well one thing was for certain. Their wedding was certainly going to a memorable one with Jirayia presiding over it.

Where the Sannin had managed to acquire the license to marry people, she wasn't' sure. The Hyuga Heiress decides to file that under the _**I Don't Want To Know**_ Category and to leave it at that for the time being. All that mattered was that it was a legal ceremony and she was marrying the man that she loved more than anything.

"Ah good. It seems like we don't have any objections. Wonderful!" The white haired man says brightly.

There were a few chuckles and looks of disapproval at Jirayia for his joke. Most of the disapproval came from the Hyuga side of the wedding. The Uchihas seemed to find it more amusing than anything though.

"Do you Hinata Hyuga, take Itachi Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish? To stand by his side in good times and in bad? In sickness and in health? And to join his obscenely large family until death do you part?" The Sannin asks merrily.

"I do." Hinata says with a laugh and Itachi shakes his head at Jirayia's antics.

Well he should have expected this. He really should have. Jirayia was just a naturally theatrical person, but the Sannin was also one whom Itachi admired greatly. That was why the Sharingan Dragon had asked him to perform the ceremony.

"Excellent! Do you Itachi Uchiha, take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish? To stand by her side in good times and in bad? In sickness and in health and to forsake all others, until death do you part?" The legendary ninja inquires.

"I do. Forever and always." He states without any hesitation as he looks at his Bride.

Hinata was always beautiful. He hadn't though that it was possible for her to become even more so, but she had. The way her midnight blue hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall against the pristine snowy white silk of her wedding kimono was nothing short of magnificent. Her lavender orbs were alight with happiness and her smile was memorizing.

She wore a pure white kimono with long sleeves. It caressed her curvaceous figure elegantly in a subtle way and swayed so ethereally with every step. Upon the back of the kimono was the symbol of her new family and Hinata also had a white lily in her hair and a pair of silver sandals.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Jirayia says happily.

Itachi didn't need to be told twice. He quickly captures Hinata's lips in his own. This was much to the delight of the crowd and of course, his own. Itachi had always loved kissing Hinata, but to be able to do it in front of everyone else made it even better somehow.

"Well that's the spirit! It looks like I have some material for my new novel!" Jirayia says happily.

"If you think that's good, you should see what my wife is capable of doing with a pair of fuzzy handcuffs." Kenji suggests helpfully.

"…" Itachi and Hinata are suddenly left rather speechless.

"KENJI UCHIHA!" Aiya hisses at him and the elderly Uchiha man whistles innocently in response to his wife's outrage.

Itachi decides that he simply didn't want to know. He was quite happy that his grandparents apparently had a happy marriage. He just didn't need to know the details about why they were so happy together. He could have lived without that particular detail being publicly known.

Hinata seems to regain her baring first though. She sits down on a nearby chair and holds out her legs. After that, she smiles encouragingly at her husband and Itachi leans down to slowly slide the garter belt off of them.

"Shall we meddle with our foolish little siblings?" He whispers to his wife and Hinata nods with a quiet laugh.

"Good. Well here we go." Itachi says as he flings the garter belt into the crowd.

He aimed it directly at Sasuke. His foolish little brother wasn't going to escape that. As predicted, it smacked the other Uchiha right in the forehead. The glare that Sasuke issued him in response was absolutely hilarious.

"My turn." Hinata says as she tosses her bouquet of white roses into the crowd.

Itachi blinks at the rather vicious fight for the flowers that resulted, but allows himself to be led over to the cake. The cake was the combined symbol for the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans. It was quite impressive really and almost as tall as him.

Of course, even a cake that large couldn't feed everyone at this wedding. There were several copies of it all around the place. Though he and Hinata were just going to cut this one symbolically.

"I'll do it." Hinata tells him with a reassuring smile as she cuts it and offers him a slice and then takes one for herself.

There was some very loud applause as they cut the cake and the flower catcher finally emerged. It looked like Hanabi had caught it, after all. Itachi chuckles. Oh yes, Sasuke still looked positively murderous.

Oh well. It was worth it. What kind of older brother would he be, if he didn't torment Sasuke? A very poor one, he thinks to himself.

"Let's dance, My Love." He says, after they both enjoy a slice of cake.

"Alright." Hinata agrees and with that, the Uchiha leads his new wife to where the others were dancing.

He had specifically requested the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars to be played at their wedding. It was after all, a family tradition. His new wife seemed to agree with him on this matter because the smile she gave him as they danced was absolutely dazzling. (And that wasn't a word that he used lightly).

It was like something out of a dream to be able to dance with his new wife with everyone watching them. They no longer had to hide their relationship. The bad blood between their Clans would slowly be erased with time and Danzo was gone. ROOT was gone. They could get on with their lives now.

After a few hours of dancing, the two of them joined the others to eat. Just as the Sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. The Sunrise was a gorgeous mixture of pinks, blues, greens, and reds. The food was even more pretty though.

"Well I am saddened that you will no longer be a Hyuga in name, Hinata. You'll always be one in blood though and Itachi, you had better take excellent care of my daughter." Hiashi warns him as he raises his champagne glass in a toast.

"I assure you that's exactly what I plan to do." Itachi retorts.

"Thank you, father. Itachi always takes wonderful care of me." Hinata says with a smile as she kisses her husband's cheek.

Whether or not Hinata had intended for the words to sound as suggestive as they did, Itachi was uncertain. The potential implication was certainly not lost on his new Father-In-Law though. Damn it.

"Hiashi, you needn't look so scandalized. They're young and in love." Mikoto says as she kisses her husband's own cheek.

"And sometimes the Honeymoon period never really ends." Fugaku agrees with a smirk.

"Father, I really didn't need to hear that!" Sasuke and Itachi say simultaneously, much to the Uchiha Patriarch's amusement.

Fugaku just shrugs in response and Itachi sighs as he enjoys his meal with his wife sitting by his side. Well he supposed it was only natural for one's family to embarrass their kin at a wedding. In this regard, the Uchihas and Hyugas seemed to be on the same page. Well at least that was the case, judging by what Hanabi said next.

"I can't wait to be an aunt. I'll be the best aunt ever! I'm sure the baby will look really cute!" The younger Hyuga says.

Hinata feels her face burn bright red in embarrassment. She knew that her sister meant well, but that was still really embarrassing. She sighs and hides her face in the crook of Itachi's neck.

"Thank you, Hanabi. I'm sure that you will. Take good care of my foolish little brother for me while we're gone." Itachi says as he tries to comfort his very flustered wife.

"Oh I'm sure that she'll do exactly that! Probably bring him some more tomatoes!" Shisui says happily as Sasuke shoots him a glare and Naruto laughs.

Thankfully, the rest of the wedding passed without incident. By the time they managed to slip away though, the Sun was already high in the sky. To say the least, Itachi was relieved that they had arranged a carriage ride to the Land of Tea.

"That was beautiful, but I can't deny that my feet hurt from all that dancing." Hinata says as she gets in the carriage with him.

Itachi couldn't disagree with that. He was an S Class Ninja and even he was exhausted. It was a good thing they could rest on their way to their Honeymoon. He smiles at that thought and scoops up Hinata's legs in his lap, sliding off her sandals.

"Itachi, what are you doing?" Hinata asks and then she suddenly giggles and sighs in contentment as her husband begins giving her a foot rub.

"Helping your poor feet feel better. Princesses really shouldn't have sore feet." He informs her.

Hinata laughs and snuggles into Itachi as she enjoys her foot rub. At some point, she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, the carriage was coming to a stop. It was coming a stop and she was being carried off somewhere.

"Itachi?" She asks in confusion.

"It's alright, My Byakugan Princess. We're here. I'm merely respecting tradition. Tradition dictates that I carry you over the threshold. I figured that I might as well carry you down the hall as well." He says with a sly smile.

Hinata couldn't really argue with that. So she smiles and nods in agreement. Besides, who needed to walk when you had Itachi Uchiha willing to carry you around everywhere? She was perfectly cozy, just right were she was. Thank you, very much.

"Oh. Alright." Hinata replies.

"We have a reservation under Uchiha." Itachi tells the receptionist.

"Oh of course. Well no mystery which Suite. The Honeymoon Suite, I see. Aren't you the lucky one?" She teases Hinata with a smile.

"Yes. Yes, I am the lucky one." Hinata agrees as she snuggles into Itachi's chest.

Itachi chuckles and says something about him being the lucky one. He quickly takes the key and carries Hinata to their room. Once they were inside it, Itachi shuts the door behind them and locks it. Almost immediately after that, he sets his wife on the bed.

Hinata smiles as she looks around. They had a nice queen sized canopy bed with a baby blue curtain and sheets. The pillows were snowy white in color and the carpet was silver. The walls were a soothing lavender. The bed was also very silky and soft. She quite liked it.

"Why don't you come join me? This time you don't have to use your Genjutsu." She asks slyly.

The suite was impressive to say the least. She could see a plush red couch and a coffee table in the living room. A stainless steel kitchen in the back and a marble bathroom as well. Not to mention, there was a sleek looking mini fridge. They could just spend their entire Honeymoon here and never want for anything!

She never would have been this bold before he took her inside his Tsukuyomi, but things were different now. Her physical body might still be an innocent, but her mind was anything but. Hinata was confident that she knew exactly what to do on their wedding night. Practice really did make perfect.

"Mmm that sounds like a fine idea to me." Itachi agrees as he quickly joins her on the bed.

 **Warning Honeymoon Lemon**

"This time, I want to take care of you." Hinata whispers to her husband as she kisses him and forms a clone.

Itachi returns the kiss eagerly and blinks at the clone. Well this should be rather interesting to say the least. Still he was hardly going to complain about having "two" beautiful wives.

"Mmm I think that I would like that very much. Though I promise that I will most assuredly return the favor. Remember Hinata, you're still an innocent when it comes to your body. Even if we have made love before in my mind, that hasn't changed." He warns her.

Hinata nods and her clone slowly slides the sash off of Itachi's wedding kimono while the original does likewise. The former Hyuga woman smiles as she admires the way the fabric slowly slide off her husband revealing the sleek muscles that had been hidden from her before. She was far from an artist, but Hinata could certainly appreciate beauty when she saw it and her lover was most assuredly a beautiful man.

"I know, but I won't be that way for long." She tells him with a sly smile as she pushes her husband onto his back and straddles his waist.

Itachi shivers at her words. He had taken a shy princess and transformed her into a vixen, it seemed. If he hadn't been ready to fully consummate their marriage before, he definitely was now.

After all, he was only human. The sight of his wife, clad only in her lacey white bridal lingerie and straddling his hips was an irresistible one. This was especially true when there was a second Hinata, sitting only inches away from her.

"That much is true." He agrees as he kisses her as he finishes disrobing his beautiful new wife.

Hinata smiles into the kiss and Itachi feels the clone slide his boxers off rather easily. That was when his little vixen decided to sneak attack him. With her mouth. The clone sneaked attacked him by wrapping her wonderfully wicked mouth around his arousal.

"H-Hinata!" Itachi groans out in absolute ecstasy as he returns her kiss.

Wanting to ensure that his wife enjoyed their time together as much as he was, Itachi glides own hand down her breasts and caresses. His other hand soon slides between her thighs and rubs her womanhood.

Hinata moans and bucks against Itachi's hands. It always felt so good when he touched her bare skin. It lit a fire inside her. That didn't change whether they were his Sexy Genjutsu or the real world.

"God, you're beautiful and such a sweet wife. Always lavishing me with your love and affection." He murmurs appreciatively as he leans up slightly and nibbles on her ear.

Mmm. That felt good. His hand was already making her grow soaked with desire. Just a few touches and she was already have insane with need. Hinata should have been disturbed by how wanton she was. How much she craved his touch, but she wasn't.

She knew that he felt the same way though. Those crimson red eyes and that rather impressive erection in her clone's mouth didn't lie. Speaking of her clone, Hinata glances back and notices that she was bobbing her head up and down as she took all of him into her mouth. Her tongue teasing her lover to the point of absolute madness, if the sounds he was making were anything to go by.

"That's because I love you and only you." Hinata says as she leaves a trail of kisses along the column of his throat and gently caresses his muscular chest.

Itachi sighs in contentment at her gentle touch, while he groans. It was nothing short of a miracle that he hadn't already spilled his release into that wonderfully wicked mouth. He wouldn't though. Not yet anyway.

The Uchiha wasn't sure how, but somehow he summons enough coherency to form a shadow clone of his own. His clone's naked form matched his own and gently coaxes the second Hinata away from his arousal, leading her to the wall.

"Mmm Itachi, what are you doing?" Hinata asks in confusion as she strokes her lover's arousal.

"I thought that we might give them a show." Itachi purrs seductively in her ear as he brushes his thumb against her clit and rubs her womanhood.

His other hand caresses her breasts as he takes a nipple into his mouth and sucks. His wife's breasts were not only beautiful, but they were also delightfully sensitive. It didn't take much attention to them to get his Princess to moan for him.

He loved her moans. He loved the way that her hair would cascade down her back like a waterfall as she arched in pleasure. The way that she could blush on her cheeks and on her breasts. Her alluring scent and most of all how good it felt to be inside her.

"Mmm. Okay. Feels so good." She moans.

It did feel good. Really, really good. Hinata didn't think that she would ever get over the way that being with him made her feel. Every sight, sound, taste, touch, and even scent was almost unbearably erotic and addictive.

"Yes, you do. Always so warm, soft, and wet for me. I love you." Itachi says as she leans up to kiss her.

"I love you too. Don't worry about hurting me. I know it will pass." She promises him as she returns the kiss and slowly slides onto him.

She winces slightly and tries to bite back a hiss of pain. Hinata wasn't going to be daunted by that for long. She remembered the first time they were together in Itachi's Genjutsu. This wouldn't last long.

"Easy, My Princess." Itachi says as he kisses her cheek affectionately and his other hand glides along her body in a gentle caress.

Hinata wiggles her hips experimentally. She wanted to be the one in control and she was going to be damned, if something like her innocence got in the way of them being together on their wedding night.

After a moment or two of this, Hinata feels Itachi brush up against something wonderful. She remembered this feeling from before. The one that made her always want more.

"I-Itachi!" She moans as she leans down and kisses him heatedly.

Itachi smiles and returns the kiss. The Uchiha begins to thrust into his wife and groans with every movement. She was so hot and tight.

She always was. Hinata fit him so perfectly. It didn't matter whether they made love in a Genjutsu or out here. This was paradise! He was sure of it!

"Do you like that they're watching us?" Itachi murmurs seductively as he begins to rock his own hips and bring her closer to bliss

"Y-yes!" Hinata pants out and it seemed the Byakugan Princess didn't mind following his lead because soon she was riding him.

There was something incredibly erotic about seeing their clones kiss and caress each other as they watched them make love. She could feel two sets of lustful crimson red eyes on her as she bounced up and down the length of her lover's cock.

It made everything more intense somehow. Hinata moans as she feels Itachi suck on her breasts and squeeze her backside. She couldn't help it, it just all felt so good.

"Just like that, My Love. You feel so good. Perfect. Always perfect." Itachi chants underneath her in an almost reverent fashion.

There was perhaps no more erotic sight in the world than the one of Hinata was she was on the edge of ecstasy. Though Itachi also knew the fact that they were being watched by their copies likely had something to do with it. Their clones looked beautiful together as they exchanged passionate open mouthed kisses and their hands wandered, while glancing back at them. That meant that they looked beautiful together.

"So good!" She cries out as she rides him faster and wraps her hand around his throat.

Itachi would be lying, if he said this bold action didn't surprise him. There was something very aggressive about it and also…very sexy. It was like his gorgeous wife couldn't get enough of him and wanted to make sure that he wasn't going anywhere.

Not that Itachi wanted to. God, it felt incredible to be inside her. To drive into her hot, wet depths and hear her moan every time they moved in perfect unison. A beautiful symphony of love and lust.

"Together!" He growls at her.

The two emotions were so perfectly intertwined, that it was impossible to tell where one began and the other ended. Not that it mattered. He knew that he would never love another woman as much as he did her. He'd never want another woman as much as he needed her.

That was the last coherent thought on his mind before they both spiraled over the edge. Her release triggered his own, but that wasn't enough. He doubted it ever would be as their clones disappeared with a loud pop.

They spent the rest of their Honeymoon making love in every spot in that Suite and once, even in the hot springs. The hot springs had been particularly enjoyable. He had thought that they had been thorough in his Tsukuyomi, but that had been child's place compared to this. This complete and utter bliss.

 **End Honeymoon Lemon**

"Mmm it's almost a shame that we have to go back." Hinata whispers as she cuddles into Itachi, after they finished making love.

"I know the feeling. Still our families do need us and it will be nice to be home. Do you need any help packing, My Love?" He asks as he runs his fingers through her midnight blue tresses.

"No. I already packed. Had some clones pack for us. We can leave as soon as you're ready." She tells him and Itachi smirks.

Shadow clones were such a dreadfully useful invention. They had so many applications. Both sensual and practical.

"Alright. Then I suppose we should head back." He tells her as he helps her up off the bed.

"Yes, we should. Though that doesn't mean that we can't thoroughly enjoy the carriage ride on our way home." She tells him with a giggle.

God, he loved this woman. Such a beautiful, kind, and wonderfully deviant woman. Well he supposed it was true that they said. It was always the quiet ones.


	17. Chapter 17

Love's Sweet Melody

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of _**Love's Sweet Melody**_. This chapter will be set five years in the future.

 **Story and Pairing Requests:** I do plan on starting the Sasuke x Hinata x Itachi story, after I finish _**Role Reversal**_. So that will probably be up in 1-2 weeks or perhaps, a little sooner. For those of you who are interested, feel free to check out my profile for more details about pairing and story requests. Anyway, happy reading.

Chapter 17

Five years later, Itachi smiles as he watches Emiko throw some flowers into the crowd happily. She wasn't alone though. Her brother, Izuna, was the ring bearer for the ceremony.

"Don't they look absolutely adorable?" He overhears someone say.

He and Hinata both smile at that. Their twins were indeed adorable. Though they were only four, they were the pride of both of their Clans. The twins charmed everyone that they met.

Well most of the time they were absolutely adorable angels. That was until they had too much sugar. Itachi had quickly found out that sugar was your enemy when you were a parent to small children!

"I doubt it will be long before Sasuke and Hanabi give Emiko and Izuna cousins to play with." Hinata says with a quiet laugh as she leans into her husband and watches the ceremony.

Itachi wasn't sure how, but sugar could turn perfect little angels into demons. Demons who were more than capable of destroying their beautiful family home. One second, Emiko and Izuna were his well behaved princess and prince and the next they were tearing apart the house as they practiced their ninja skills.

He was quite proud of the names that they had given their children. Their daughter was named after her maternal grandmother and their son was named after his paternal ancestor, Izuna. Itachi was glad that in their own way, they had given their kin the happy ending that they had never gotten in life.

"I doubt it either. Your sister is certainly persistent, I'll give her that much." Itachi whispers to his wife.

Whoever could have guessed that Shisui would turn out to be the matchmaker in the family? On the day that he had forced Sasuke to dance with Hanabi, Itachi highly doubted anyone could have foreseen this happening. Sasuke dancing with Hanabi was originally just supposed to be a distraction and now, the two were getting married.

"Mhm. Very persistent. Hanabi never suffered from shyness, the way that I did." Hinata notes with amusement.

"Mmm. Yes, well you haven't suffered in shyness for many years. I imagine that everyone in your Clan would go quite red, if knew what their innocent Byakugan Princess was capable of behind closed doors or about our glorious Honeymoon." He observes with a smirk.

"Hi, mommy! Hi, daddy!" Emiko says with a wave as she prances by them, throwing flowers everywhere.

Her name meant smiling child and she lived up to it. Her brother had always been a bit more formal. Itachi supposed that was to be expected though. He certainly had a lot to live up to. He had been named after one of the strongest ninjas to have ever lived.

"Mother! Father!" Izuna says as he waves at them with a more dignified smile adorning his chubby little face.

Well all four year olds had chubby cheeks. That was just to be expected. Itachi found himself smiling at their adorable little grins as they made their way towards the alter together. Brother and sister bouncing along, side by side.

They both had Hinata's midnight blue hair and his eyes. Their skin tone a perfect combination of their mother's and fathers. Their facial features an exotic blending of both of their families.

"You're doing a wonderful job!" Hinata calls out to them and Itachi nods in agreement.

There were only a few physical differences that distinguished the twins from one another, but it was enough to tell them apart. Obviously, there was gender. There was more to it than that though.

Emiko's hair came all the way down to her waist, while her brother's reached his shoulders in a style that would eventually grow out to look like Itachi's. Her eyes were always wide with wonder and her brother's always looked inquisitive. Izuna had his ears and nose, but Hinata's smile and chin. Emiko was the reverse.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hanabi Hyuga." Kakashi's voice rang out cheerfully.

Hinata smiles upon here that and looks around. Unlike their wedding, Sasuke and Hanabi had chosen to have theirs during the daytime and at the start of spring. It was a bit chilly, but beautiful. All the Sakura blossoms had already blossomed and the District was decorated beautifully.

Once again, the Hyugas and Uchihas had to perform another ceremony in the Uchiha District. There simply wasn't any other place that could hold that many guests. Hinata notes with amusement that the decorations and foods were nearly identical, not that anyone minded.

"If anyone has any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace. Though I really wouldn't recommend it, these two are far feistier than their older siblings." Kakashi warns everyone, much to the delight of the crowd.

This was especially true when it came to the Bride and Groom. Sasuke and Hanabi only had eyes for each other at this point. Hinata smiles as she remembers being the same way with Itachi. Actually, she was still the same way with her husband.

Their Honeymoon Period had never really ended. That was definitely one of the more enjoyable aspects of their marriage. Though Hinata was still learning what it would mean to one day step into Mikoto's role. (Being an Uchiha Matriarch and being a Hyuga Matriarch were apparently two **very** different things).

"Ah good. No objections. Sasuke Uchiha do you take Hanabi Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish? To sickness and in health? In both good times and in bad and to forsake all others until death do you part?" The silver haired ninja asks.

"I do." The raven haired man replies and Hinata smiles again.

She still wasn't really sure how Hanabi had eventually overcome the age gap. Granted, the gap wasn't really extreme. It was more the fact that Hanabi had gotten a crush on Sasuke so young that had disturbed him at first.

Now, her sister was very much a woman though. At some point, Hanabi must have seduced the Uchiha man with her newfound feminine charms and that was that. Hinata had to give her sister this much, the woman never gave up. She was a very determined little thing.

"Ah good. Do you Hanabi Hyuga take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish? To sickness and in health? In both good times and in bad and to forsake all others until death do you part?" Kakashi continues.

"I do." Hanabi says with a smile.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the Bride!" The CopyCat Ninja instructs them with a big smile.

Sasuke didn't waste any time. In that respect, Hinata supposed the two brothers were alike. Well one thing was for certain. He and Hanabi were going to give the villagers plenty to talk about! A kiss that passionate was bound to get noticed!

"Is Uncle Sasuke trying to eat Aunt Hanabi's face?" Emiko asks innocently.

Hinata couldn't help it. She bursts out laughing. Children could say the most endearing and surprising things sometimes.

"Well I suppose that's one way to look at it." Itachi concedes.

"Why doesn't she lock up his chakra points? I mean she's clearly fighting back." Izuna says.

That was a logical question. Well if one was looking at it from the perspective of their children. Hinata smiles. There really was so much of Itachi in their son and so much of her in Emiko.

"Oh it's not a battle. Well at least not one that's painful. Grown ups enjoy kissing their husbands and wives. It's something mothers and fathers often do." Her husband explains and Hinata nods as if to confirm what her lover was saying was true.

The twins seem to find that a weird explanation, but they nod their heads. Hinata smiles in response. They were good kids. Just as long as one didn't give them too much sugar. God help you when you had Hyuga-Uchiha children on sugar rushes. It was a scary sight.

"So you finally got him!" Naruto says cheerfully to Hanabi, who nods with a smile as she tosses her bouquet.

Ah that was scary. Hinata knew full well what happened when a woman tossed her bouquet at her wedding. Almost right on cue, the single women in attendance fought over the flowers like wild animals.

"You're such a loser, Naruto. Here!" Sasuke grumbles as he tosses the garter belt at the blonde.

It landed right on his face and Naruto grumbles. He grumbles something about abusive bastards. Hanabi shakes her head in amusement and kisses her husband's cheek.

"Mmm you should be nicer to him. He is your best friend." She reminds him.

"Yes, he's my best friend. That's why I'm giving him the care he needs. Naruto can't function without his daily beating." Sasuke retorts with a smirk as he leads his wife off for their first dance as a married couple.

Despite the strange situation, Hiashi finds himself chuckle. The fact that Sasuke was actually willing to marry into the Hyuga Clan had surprised him. Initially, he hadn't known where to put the man.

In the end, he made the Uchiha a Main House Member. It wasn't a decision that he made lightly, but it was the right one. To do otherwise would have meant risking a Clan War or Hanabi would have married into the Uchiha Clan. Both of those outcomes were simply unacceptable. That much was obvious.

"There, you see? It's all turned out for the best." Mikoto says with a smile as she stands next to her husband and Hiashi.

Hiashi was a little worried about what would eventually happen when Sasuke and Hanabi took over the Hyuga Clan. He suspected that they would abolish the House System. Mostly because they had both said as much and he had never known either of them to go back on their word. Though that was a concern for another day.

"Yes, I suppose that it has." Hiashi concedes.

Now, that their families had been joined through marriage…things were slowly changing between the Clans. It was hard not to when you had the twins running around. The twins were a living symbol of what happened when you combined the bloodlines.

Not only where they adorable, they were strong. Freakishly so, actually. Most of the time, their eyes were smoky gray or inky black like their fathers. When they wanted though, one would turn lavender and the other crimson red. They possessed both traits.

"Ha! Who is the best matchmaker in the Fire Nation?!" Shisui says merrily as he claps Hiashi Hyuga on the back in celebration.

Emiko and Izuna both possessed the Byakugan and the Sharingan. They each had two powerful bloodlines at four. God only knows what they would be capable of by the time they entered the Academy.

Not only that, but there was also Hanabi and Sasuke to consider. While it wasn't for certain that their children would also possess both traits, it was possible. Their Clans were merging. Growing stronger.

"Shisui, kindly remove your hand. If you do not, I shall remove it for you." The Hyuga Patriarch warns him.

Shisui apparently did have at least some inkling of self-preservation instincts because he immediately retracts his hand. Hiashi smirks in response to this. Good. Good. At least one Uchiha was still intimidated by him.

"Sheesh. Sorry. I thought that you might be warming up to us. We're family now, after all." He says smugly.

Hiashi barely refrains from rolling his eyes. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the fact that it would be beneath his dignity. He was a Clan Head. Clan Head's didn't roll their eyes. That much was certain.

"Yes, we are family. That doesn't necessarily mean that I've given you permission to touch my person though." The lavender eyed man informs him as he walks over to Sasuke and Hanabi.

As much as he was still struggling to understand the mixed couples, he knew that he owed it to Hanabi to at least try. After all, he had accepted Hinata and Itachi. It was only fair that he offer his youngest daughter and her husband the same courtesy.

He couldn't lie though. Itachi had been an easier man to accept as his Son-In-Law. He was more traditional. More respectful. Sasuke was just as wild as the lightning that he wielded sometimes and twice as proud.

"Father." Hanabi says with a smile.

"Daughter. You look absolutely beautiful today, you always do. You're practically glowing though." He tells her as he briefly kisses her cheek and stares at Sasuke.

Sasuke rolls his eyes in response. The boy was perceptive enough to know what was about to happen. Well that was good at least. At least his daughter hadn't married someone pathetically dim-witted.

"Take good care of my daughter or else, I will lock up every one of your chakra points and you will never be able to have daughters of your own." He warns Sasuke.

"I always take good care of her and you can save your threats for someone who is impressed by them. Isn't that right, Tsuki?" Sasuke asks with a smirk.

Damn it! No! Not Tsuki! That damn cat! He politely excuses himself and tries to run off to hide his sneezes. This just wasn't dignified.

"I could chase the cat for you, if you want." Pakkun offers.

"Well that is a very tempting offer." Hiashi replies as soon as he notices the canine was standing by the same tree that he was.

"Hiashi, I'm surprised that you would resort to such childishness. Really, you would have Pakkun chase after a Ninja Cat because you got annoyed? It was just a prank. Your sniffles will be gone in a couple hours." Kakashi lectures him lightly.

Hiashi grumbles. Sniffles, his hindquarters! This was more than sniffles. There was sneezing, coughing, itching, watery eyes, and sometimes even hives! Hives!

"Very well. I suppose I should conduct myself a little more properly. I was merely jesting." He grumbles.

"Of course. Come along, Pakkun. Oh and don't chase Tsuki. That kitten's got some vicious claws on her." Kakashi instructs the canine with a chuckle as he heads off.

That's when Hiashi hears a quiet giggle. He turns around, expecting to see Hinata. It wasn't her though. Emiko?

Not his granddaughter, but his wife! His wife was standing next to him! There was just one thing wrong though. She was transparent!

"I'm sorry, if I frightened you. I'm afraid that I don't have much time. I just wanted you to know that I love you and that I'm so proud of you and our daughters. Of our grandchildren. I only managed to sneak through for a few minutes, but it should be long enough. Come with me, My Love." She tells him as she offers him her hand.

"Emiko? But how is this possible?" He asks as he tries to take his hand.

He sighs when his own goes right through it. Hiashi takes it anyway. She truly was a ghost.

"I wouldn't focus on the how. Just focus on the now. We have just enough time for one dance. A dance that will have to hold us over until your time comes. Which hopefully won't be for many years. I want you to have the opportunity to watch our daughters and our grandchildren grow up. It would be selfish of me to take that away from you." She whispers as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"I've missed you so. More than words can ever say. I suppose that you're right. The how isn't as important as the fact you managed it. Are you happy, wherever you are?" He asks desperately.

He only had a few moments. Hiashi knew that he would have to make the most of them. Enough to last for a few decades.

"I'm very happy and I know one day, our family will be together again. I love you. I'm sorry that I had to leave you so soon, but it will all work out in the end. They're playing our song." She says with a smile.

Indeed. They were. The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. It had become quite the family tradition. One that brought him some measure of comfort.

"I'm glad to hear that you're happy and you're right, I'll join you one day. So will Hinata, Hanabi, and our grandchildren." He whispers as he twirls her around under his arm.

Just as he had done so many years ago. In some ways, it was as if nothing had changed. He did mourn the fact that he couldn't feel the warmth of her skin against his own, but he was too elated at her presence to care too much about that.

"Yes, you all will. You're still as good a dancer as ever, My Love." She whispers.

A few moments later and Hiashi realizes that his partner was fading. She was literally fading. Emiko couldn't stay any longer.

"Wait for me." He tells her.

"Always, My Love. I'll be here when it's your time. Tell them that I love them." She whispers as she fades out of his sight completely, but Hiashi knew that they would be together again one day.

Hiashi was far from the only person who was having an encounter with a spirit though. Itachi smiles as he watches Hinata speak with her sister. The two of them were giggling about something. He was almost positive that he had heard the words Honeymoon in there and something about big. Big and the Byakugan seeing through clothes.

"Well I suppose if the Sharingan can be used to create another realm purely for sensual pleasure, the Byakugan can be used to sneak a peek." He chuckles.

"That has always been my opinion as well. I was flattered to find out that you had named your son after me." He hears a masculine voice say.

Itachi blinks and looks around. At first, he thought he was staring at Sasuke. That wasn't accurate though. This man was a bit older and wearing old fashioned armor. Armor for a Ninja War and he was standing next to a beautiful Hyuga woman and another man with mixed features.

The third person had to be their son. There was no other explanation. Itachi wasn't sure how, but he knew that he was staring at Izuna, Hana, and their son. The nameless son who had been lost to history.

"I'm g-glad to hear that." He says in a stunned voice.

It wasn't often that Itachi Uchiha was at a loss for words, but he truly was in this instance. What did you say when you ran into the ghosts of your ancestors? He didn't know.

"Thank you, for loving her and not allowing the bad blood between our Clans to stop you. Unfortunately, Izuna and I never got the chance to bring our Clans together. Bakura never got to know his father in life, but in the afterlife things are better. We're finally at peace because of you and your families." The woman says as she kisses her husband's cheek and smiles at her son.

"Itachi, who are you talking to?" Hinata asks as she makes her way back to him, after speaking with her sister.

The Hyuga, now Uchiha, woman's eyes widen. Ghosts. They were ghosts. They had to be. They were transparent!

"I'm Izuna. The original Izuna. This is my wife, Hana and our son, Bakura." Izuna tells her with a smile.

Hinata blinks and glances back at their children. Luckily, Izuna and Emiko were both playing with Naruto. She wasn't sure what they would have done, if they had run into three ghosts.

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you. What are you doing here?" She whispers.

"Oh we love weddings and wanted to thank you. It's because of you two that we were all able to finally find each other and achieve peace. That and your mother wanted to visit you." Izuna informs her.

"I love you, Hinata. I love you, your father, your sister, and my grandchildren more than anything. I spent most of my time with your father. I must go quickly, if I'm going to say goodbye to your sister as well." Hinata's mother whispers into her ear as she hugs her briefly before floating off towards Hanabi.

Hinata's eyes widen. That had been her mother! Her mother had visited her!

"I love you too!" She calls out and the Uchiha woman watches as Hanabi's and Sasuke's eyes widen.

It seemed that Emiko Uchiha was keeping her word. The woman was saying her goodbyes to both of her daughters. This was incredible. Unbelievable.

"We had no wish to startle you. We're just so happy that the informal feud is over. Treasure the love that you have for each other. We didn't have much time to treasure ours in life, but that's different now." Hana tells her.

"And thanks to all of you, I have my family back." Bakura says with a smile.

A handsome smile. Many generations may have separated them, but he really did have Itachi's smile. Well maybe Hinata should say that her husband had inherited Bakura's smile in the interest of accuracy, but she digressed.

"It was our pleasure." Itachi assures him.

"I'm afraid that we must go now. Our time here is small, I'm afraid. Thank you." Izuna says as he offers his wife and son his hand and opens a portal.

A portal that the family walked straight into. In the distance, Hinata's Byakugan saw another portal being opened. Her mother was walking through it. She was going back to her afterlife, but she was leaving with a smile on her face.

"Did that really just happen?" Hinata whispers to Itachi.

"Yes, that really just happened. Well we should probably get back to the dance floor. We don't want anyone to realize that spirits can communicate with the living. No matter how briefly. That and they're playing our song on a loop." Itachi tells her with a smile as he leads her off.

Hinata smiles and wraps her arms around his neck as they sway to the sweet melody. The sweet melody of her parents son, their song, and now Sasuke's and Hanabi's song.

"It's a sweet melody." She whispers.

"Yes, love is a sweet melody." Itachi agrees as he kisses her.

Hinata smiles and returns the kiss. Her mother and their ancestors were finally at rest. Danzo could no longer threaten them. They had two beautiful children and her sister had found love with Sasuke. That and there favorite song was playing. In that moment, everything was perfect and she allowed herself to get lost in love's sweet melody.


End file.
